Plays2talk

24/12/2025

🎄 The Window of Tolerance (Dan Siegel)
The festive period can stretch everyone’s nervous system.
Family expectations, busy days, noise, disrupted routines — and for many, loss, grief, or changed family dynamics — can push both adults and children outside their window of tolerance.
When we’re outside our window we may move into:
⬆️ overwhelm, anxiety, irritability, meltdowns
⬇️ shutdown, withdrawal, exhaustion
Children feel this too — often more intensely — and they rely on the adults around them to help them find their way back.
At Christmas, regulation isn’t about getting it right or keeping everyone happy.
It’s about noticing when things feel like too much, softening expectations, and allowing pauses.
Quiet moments, slowing our breathing, stepping away from stimulation, and choosing connection over perfection help nervous systems settle.
Not everyone experiences Christmas as joyful — and that matters.
Gentleness, flexibility, and kindness (to ourselves and our children) go a long way.

04/12/2025

It’s kind of shocking when you realise our schooling system wasn’t originally designed for education in the way we think of it today.
Its goal wasn’t deep learning… it was moulding.

During the industrial revolution, governments and industry owners needed a population that was compliant, orderly, and easy to manage. So they borrowed heavily from the Prussian school system and funded a model that trained kids to fit a certain mould.
I’m not kidding.
Because the economics and means of income changed so dramatically and so quickly. Hundreds of thousands of years of self owned businesses, trades, farmers. Those that had control over their life, their work hours, their schedule. Had to get jobs in factories, to be told when to work, when to eat, when to sleep, permission to do anything.
It was emasculating for many men that had lived so independently.
So they NEEDED to raise a new generation that would fit what the country and industrialists needed for their economy.

Rows of desks.
Hands raised for permission.
Strict bells.
Set lunch breaks.
Obedience over curiosity.
Uniformity over individuality.

These weren’t educational decisions. They were behavioural ones.

And the wild part?
We’ve barely changed any of it.

We’re still running a system built to prepare children for factory floors, not modern life, and don’t even get me started about neurodivergent minds.

Most schools still don’t teach financial literacy, they don’t teach about taxes, they don’t teach how to run your own business, make critical thinking decisions.

Education isn’t bad.
But are we really educating in the best way possible?
Can’t we do more?

Or is this the best we can do now as a society? 📷 and post

27/11/2025

Not all “play therapy” certificates are created equal. A short online course for £61 is not Play Therapy. is only 1 of many falsely advertising!
Master’s-level training provides the extensive clinical knowledge, supervised experience, and depth of understanding required to safely and effectively support a child or young person.
At Master’s level, therapists study core clinical areas, including:
attachment theory
brain development and neuroscience
child development across the lifespan
psychoanalytic and therapeutic theory
research methods and a full dissertation
…and much more.
This level of training cannot be replaced by a brief online certificate.
Play Therapy is not a protected title or profession, meaning anyone can claim to offer it. That is why—both as a parent and as a professional—it is essential to ensure your therapist is registered with a recognised governing body such as BAPT (British Association of Play Therapists) or PTUK (Play Therapy UK).
Membership in these organisations ensures that therapists are:
properly and rigorously trained
clinically supervised
insured
committed to ongoing CPD
accountable to professional and ethical standards
In short: You do not get Play Therapy from someone with a quick certificate.
Choose a registered, fully trained therapist to ensure your child receives safe, ethical, and evidence-based therapeutic support.

04/11/2025

http://bit.ly/WrapUp-London-coat-drive

10/10/2025

-

02/10/2025

For many, October symbolises a transition: the leaves are browning, the sun is waning and the realization that the year is slowly coming to an end is dawning. This is part of what inspired the viral
“October theory,” a motivational trend that suggests the final three months of the year is prime time to change your life for the better.
This motivational mindset
encourages people to use the final months of the year to implement positive habits and achieve goals, acting as a more manageable
“second chance” for a fresh start before the calendar year closes.
Key Aspects of October
Theory:
A Second New Year:
It reimagines October 1st as a fresh start, offering an alternative to the traditional January 1st for personal growth and ambition.
Motivation for Change:
The theory taps into the natural, seasonal shift in autumn—a time of reflection and transition-to create a sense of urgency and motivation for personal change and goal achievement.
Reduced Pressure:
By setting goals for the last three months of the year, people may feel less pressure and more freedom to set realistic, achievable goals than if they waited for the traditional
January 1st.
Areas of Focus:
Followers use October Theory to pursue a wide range of transformations, including:
Career and personal development:
Starting a new job or making other big decisions.
Self-care and habit formation:
Adopting healthier habits or better routines.
Relationships: Committing to a new romantic relationship or improving existing ones.
Why Is it so popular?:
• Seasonal Symbolism: The changing leaves, cooling weather, and the natural winding down of the year create a natural feeling of change and reflection.
• Eustress: Psychologists note that the “good stress” or motivation felt during October can be a powerful catalyst for action and positive change.
• Momentum: The theory emphasizes creating forward momentum and taking action rather than passively waiting for the “perfect moment,” which can help make changes stick
Have you tried The October Theory? Thoughts?

15/08/2025

A session with a child who wasn’t happy with her Sats results… after exploring this hurt and disappointment this was part of her process…. 🖍 Things you can’t put in a test
You can’t measure…
how I make my friend laugh,
how I keep going when it’s tricky,
how I notice when someone feels left out,
or how I’m brave enough to try again tomorrow.
A test can tell you what I know today.
But it can’t see all the amazing things
I’m learning about being me. 💛
—

08/08/2025

🌿✨ It’s Official! ✨🌿
I’m now a BACP Accredited Member 💛

30/07/2025

In play therapy, children are given their own time and space to explore freely, fostering a sense of autonomy and safety within the therapeutic relationship. Beneath the surface of play, unconscious feelings, internal conflicts, and relational patterns often emerge symbolically, offering a glimpse into the child’s inner world.

Through metaphors and symbolic expression, psychodynamic play therapy allows children to revisit early experiences, test out new roles, and process emotions that may not yet have words. The therapist remains attuned and reflective, holding the child’s experiences, helping to bring what is hidden into awareness, and supporting a path toward integration and healing. Thankyou for a beautiful quote 🙏🏻

\

20/07/2025