The Therapywise Foundation

The Therapywise Foundation Putting the mental health of children, young people and their families first

British Association of Play Therapists
10/12/2025

British Association of Play Therapists

In play therapy, movement-based play gives children countless chances to practise balance in ways that feel joyful and natural. Whether they are wobbling on a cushion, darting across the room, or inventing a game that involves spinning, hopping, or stretching, their bodies are constantly learning.

These playful moments help strengthen the sensory and muscular systems that support physical balance and coordination. With a play therapist’s attuned presence and safe boundaries, children can explore movement freely, challenge themselves and discover what their bodies can do.

In this way, play therapy nurtures not only emotional wellbeing, but also the developing physical systems that help children feel steady, confident and grounded in their world.

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From British Association of Play Therapists
09/12/2025

From British Association of Play Therapists

In play therapy, children engage in rich cognitive work that directly supports the development of working memory, the mental space where they hold, organise and manipulate information.

During play, children remember sequences, keep track of roles, follow the unfolding logic of their story and juggle multiple ideas at once. Even simple activities like building, planning, or imaginative storytelling require the child to hold information in mind while also adapting to new possibilities.

Within the therapeutic relationship, this cognitive load is manageable because the child feels safe, supported and free to explore at their own pace. As children repeat, revise and expand their play, they strengthen neural pathways involved in attention, planning and flexible problem-solving.

The play therapist’s attuned presence helps the child tolerate challenge and recover from frustration. All of which reinforce working memory and broader executive functioning.

Through this process, play therapy nurtures the developing brain, enabling children to think more clearly, organise their experiences and approach the world with greater cognitive resilience.

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Thank you British Association of Play Therapists
08/12/2025

Thank you British Association of Play Therapists

In play therapy, we understand that play is a powerful protector for children who have experienced stress or trauma. Within the safety of the therapeutic relationship, play becomes a language through which children can process and express overwhelming emotions that may be too difficult or confusing to put into words.

As the child re-enacts, symbolises, or gently approaches their experiences through play, their nervous system has opportunities to settle, regulate and regain a sense of calm and control. The consistency, attunement and containment offered by the play therapist create a secure base from which the child can explore at their own pace, restoring feelings of safety and inner strength.

In this way, play therapy offers children a developmentally appropriate pathway to recover, integrate their experiences and move towards emotional well-being.

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Thank you British Association of Play Therapists
08/12/2025

Thank you British Association of Play Therapists

In play therapy, we recognise that sharing and turn-taking do not come naturally to emotionally young children. These are developmental abilities that unfold gradually as children feel safe, regulated and connected.

Play provides the ideal space for this growth. Within the therapeutic relationship, the child is invited to explore at their own pace while experiencing clear, consistent boundaries. Over time, the child begins to practise waiting, negotiating, sharing materials and taking turns not because an adult instructs them to, but because the play itself creates authentic moments where these skills emerge.

Through the play therapist’s attuned presence, emotional containment and modelling of respectful interaction, children internalise these social skills in a way that feels organic, relational and rooted in their own sense of competence.

In this way, play therapy becomes a gentle, developmentally appropriate environment where social skills can take shape and flourish.

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Thank you British Association of Play Therapists
06/12/2025

Thank you British Association of Play Therapists

Through movement-rich play — climbing, balancing, skipping, building, throwing, role play and sensory exploration — children strengthen the neural and muscular systems that underpin coordination, balance, spatial awareness and motor planning.

In Play Therapy, these skills grow naturally. A child-led environment allows children to experiment with their bodies, build confidence, regulate their nervous system, and develop physical mastery at their own pace.

At BAPT, we recognise that coordinated bodies support coordinated minds — and play is where that growth begins.

Thank you British Association of Play Therapists
05/12/2025

Thank you British Association of Play Therapists

In Play Therapy, children learn how to be with others long before they learn how to talk about being with others.
Through shared play, turn-taking, problem-solving, and navigating big feelings in a safe therapeutic relationship, children develop the foundations of social cooperation:

✨ Understanding others’ perspectives
✨ Practising negotiation and compromise
✨ Building trust through consistent relational safety
✨ Learning empathy through symbolic and imaginary play

Play is the rehearsal space for real-world relationships.

📖 “Children learn to cooperate, negotiate and compromise through play long before they can articulate these skills in words.”
— Dr. Stuart Brown, Play Researcher & Founder of the National Institute for Play

Play Therapy uses these natural developmental processes to support children who struggle with relationships, connection or communication—meeting them where they are, at their pace, with acceptance at the centre.

British Association of Play Therapists
05/12/2025

British Association of Play Therapists

Play is one of the most powerful tools children have for building their memory systems. Through repetition, imagination, storytelling, and sensory exploration, children strengthen neural pathways that support working memory, long-term memory, and the ability to recall information under stress.

In Play Therapy, this happens naturally and safely. Children revisit themes, rehearse experiences, and make sense of their world at their own pace. This gentle, child-led process strengthens memory, supports emotional integration, and helps previously overwhelming experiences become organised and understood.

Play isn’t “just play” — it’s how the brain learns to remember.

British Association of Play Therapists
05/12/2025

British Association of Play Therapists

Play is a child’s natural language — and through it, they learn to understand, express, and regulate their inner world. In Play Therapy, children are given a safe, accepting space where big feelings can be explored, stress can be released, and anxiety can be transformed into resilience.

Through symbolic play, creative expression, and therapeutic attunement, children develop:
✨ Emotional awareness
✨ Confidence in managing worries
✨ Healthy coping strategies
✨ A felt sense of safety and connection

As Virginia Axline, pioneer of child-centred play therapy, reminds us:
“Play is the child’s natural medium of self-expression.”

In that expression lies emotional healing, growth, and the foundations of lifelong wellbeing. 💚🎨

Thank you British Association of Play Therapists
02/12/2025


Thank you British Association of Play Therapists

In Play Therapy, we know that movement is medicine for the developing body and brain. When children climb, jump, push, pull, balance, and explore, they’re not “just playing” — they’re building the foundations for lifelong physical confidence.

Through play, children develop:

🟢 Core strength & stability
🟢 Gross-motor skills (running, climbing, balancing)
🟢 Fine-motor control (gripping, manipulating toys, drawing)
🟢 Coordination & spatial awareness
🟢 Confidence in their own bodies — essential for emotional regulation

Unstructured, child-led play gives children the freedom to test their limits safely, tune into their sensory world, and build resilience in a way that feels joyful and natural.

“Play is the work of childhood.” — Jean Piaget

At BAPT, we champion play as a powerful therapeutic tool — strengthening not just bodies, but relationships, self-esteem, and emotional wellbeing.

Thank you British Association of Play Therapists for this
02/12/2025

Thank you British Association of Play Therapists for this

Children learn language best in relationships that feel safe, attuned and playful. In Play Therapy, they’re not pressured to perform words — they naturally discover them.

Through play, children develop the foundations of communication:
✨ Joint attention
✨ Turn-taking
✨ Symbol use
✨ Emotional vocabulary
✨ Storytelling and sequencing

As children explore, imagine and express through play, their brains become more open, flexible and ready to learn the language of the world around them.

I welcome & accept all parts of the person in front of me into the playroom, as do all . It can be hard to disregard th...
23/11/2025

I welcome & accept all parts of the person in front of me into the playroom, as do all . It can be hard to disregard the expectations that others give of who that person should be, or how they should behave, but that’s what we do in play therapy. That acceptance is key to them feeling seen, heard and safe enough to explore their experiences & who they truly are.

Placing equality, diversity and inclusion at the heart of play therapy deepens trust, connection and collaboration. When every child and family feels seen, respected and valued, the therapeutic relationship becomes a space of safety and belonging. By continually reflecting on our practice and challenging barriers, we create environments where every child can play, explore and grow knowing their identity and lived experience are honoured.

® Consortium of Play Therapy Associations

Play Therapy is so powerful for children
22/11/2025

Play Therapy is so powerful for children

Play therapy is effective because it works with the child’s natural way of communicating, not against it. We meet them where they are and change begins from there.

® International Consortium of Play Therapy Associations

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