Rody Dunne Play Therapy

26/02/2026

“Play Therapy with Rody has played such an important role in helping our son understand and manage his emotions in a more positive way. Situations such as “meltdowns”, aggression and shouting have reduced significantly. Our child is autistic with PDA. PDA can be the most challenging part of our days but Rody has provided us with strategies and language to use so that transitions and demands are made much easier. Our son always looked forward to his sessions with Rody which I think is a great testament to just how incredible he is with children. Highly recommend Play Therapy with Rody Dunne to anyone!”

20/02/2026

"Our daughter went through some challenging times over the last 2 years. We were told that she needs assessments done, to find out is there something causing explosive tantrums. We were told about Rody helping another child in her school so we decided to try Play Therapy.

From the moment we met Rody we felt at ease and listened to. There was no judgement just ideas on why there is behaviour issues and ways we can try to help in a safe environment.

The first session showed Rody one tantrum and we were happy he saw this and from there on there was great communication on how we as parents can deal with these situations and also with our daughter on her feelings and why she feels that way. It has helped her to understand why! She has never looked back. Her behaviour has changed dramatically. She’s able to tell us she’s angry, sad. happy, nervous etc and none to very few tantrums. We have a very happy, content little girl and it’s all down to Rody!"

12/02/2026

“Play Therapy has greatly helped our son (9). He was referred as we were finding it, and school very difficult to diffuse aggression behaviour both vocal and physical. After the first few sessions of Play Therapy we noticed a marked difference in our son’s behaviour, responses and general overall mood. Very positive improvements all round. Our son found he could verbalise in a non-aggressive manner easier as time has gone on and we introduced “tools” to help with this. Overall, we couldn’t recommend Rody’s Play Therapy strongly enough to any family and child that is struggling to process anything they have difficulty with. Also, worth noting that our son is on the autism spectrum, ASD, ADHD and a moderate/mild learning disability. The fact that Rody’s Play Therapy made a massive breakthrough with our child is testament to the great work Rody does.”

04/02/2026

"Play Therapy with Rody made such a difference in our life. Watching my son grow each week and doing new things I could only have dreamed of. It's so lovely waking up and enjoying the mornings instead of having sick feelings not knowing what I was going to face in my son. Our home life has changed hugely and I will be forever grateful for the help given. The spark my son had lost is back again. He is so happy to have got the time and help he needed to navigate life."

22/01/2026

"When our son began with Rody he was undiagnosed with Autism and SPD. Rody advised us on some equipment that would help with his sensory needs and self regulation. Our son was also regressing in school and at home which was leading to many temper outbursts. With Rody's superpower of connection and support we have all taken measures to change ourselves because our son has also been given his own unique superpower and we are enjoying seeing the world the way our son does now. This does not mean there are days that are not challenging, we just now celebrate the small wins in life."

22/12/2025

Regina Igoe talks to Oliver about the power of play when it comes to connecting with all the family that we’ll be spending lots and lots of time with over the coming days.

05/12/2025

"Play therapy has been not only an amazing experience for our daughter but as a family we have all learnt ways to communicate, support and help her to overcome her fears of hospitals, doctors and large emotions she has come to face. Going to Rody's has become out daughters favourite time in the week. She felt safe, could talk and learn. Rody is an amazing oerson and gifted at working with children. It has been one of the best decisions we have made and would only have the most positive things to say about play therapy with Rody. We have seen such a positive change in our daughter which is all down to play therapy and what we learned from Rody"

07/11/2025

24/10/2025

Hi all! As our little ones will soon be on mid-term break, here are some Halloween themed activities you can do with your child that promote creativity, emotional expression and social skills!

Allow your child to design the house pumpkins this year! Let your child draw out the pumpkin design before the parents carve it up. Set up a decorating station with paints, stickers, slime and any other craft supplies that are to hand. Allow your child to express themselves in a fun, creative way.

For children who love telling a story, have a storytelling session where your kids can create their own Halloween-themed stories. This can be done through speaking allowed, through drawing or writing, all fostering creativity and narrative skills in your little one.

For those kids that love to make a mess, create your own messy play station where your little ones can cook up a “witch's brew” or their own mad science experiments using at home kitchen staples like vinegar, baking soda, and food coloring. This type of play can help with sensory exploration and understanding cause-and-effect relationships.

For those who love the outdoors, a Halloween scavenge hunt might be just the thing to keep your little monster entertained. This could include puzzles and riddles which encourages problem-solving, teamwork, and physical activity.

For the actors in your household, a role-play activity where kids can act out being different monsters or spooky characters can be really fun. This can help them explore their feelings and fears in a playful way

Creating mystery sensory bins where your child fishes in the bin blind can be really fun. This can filled with Halloween-themed items like monkey nuts, fake spiders, and plastic eyeballs and everything else you can find in your closest discount shop. Place a black bag over the bin and punch a hole in the centre so they can rummage blind. This can be a really stimulating experience for those participating and watching. It can also be a very tactile experience and can be calming and regulating for those little ones who require regulation.

I hope you all enjoy the Halloween break and have lots of fun and special time with your little monsters.

12/08/2025

A new testimonials page has been added to the Rody Dunne Play Therapy website. If you have thoughts or concerns regarding your own child, hear what past parents have experienced and see if Play Therapy could be a good way to help and heal your little one.

Find the link below:
https://rdunneplaytherapy.com/testimonials-2/

29/05/2025

SUPERPOWERS OF PLAY THERAPY NO.5: Emotional Cleansing

Emotional Cleansing is a process in which repressed feelings linked to a traumatic event are brought to the surface and are experienced in a safe environment where strong or negative emotions can be released and worked through. The idea behind such a process is that all people, children and adults alike, have a basic need to understand things that they have experienced and will seek a way to put these experiences behind them. Those that have had traumatic experiences and have not yet found a way to do this may find the event and the connected traumatic emotions returning to their thoughts on either a regular or occasional basis.
Emotional cleansing is achieved in play therapy through the use of small toys to recreate lived experiences and give the child a sense of ownership over their experience.
Children who can establish a sense of ownership over traumatic experiences can look at the event from a different perspective or use this opportunity to change aspects of the experience to their advantage.
This replaying of traumatic experiences may happen in the playroom multiple times and through many different mediums before the child can healthily process their experiences and come to a resolution. Such emotional cleansing and healing is often a slow but effective therapeutic process.

If you know someone who could benefit from play therapy, please get in contact and we can see how play therapy could give someone you love superpowers.

26/04/2025

SUPERPOWERS OF PLAY THERAPY NO.4: Purge and Release

Purge and release involves the offloading of supressed emotions, such as anger or unhappiness and experiencing a sense of release once these feelings have shifted. This process is used indirectly in Play Therapy through mediums such as role play and through play with objects or art. Having an outlet where one can discard supressed emotions can promote positive change in a child by not only the purging of negative feelings, but also be helping to develop an awareness and positive coping skills in a child. By allowing children to express their a strong emotions, they have the opportunity to overcome them. Children can learn that they are in control and take responsibility for their own emotions rather than blame external forces for how they feel.
Purging and releasing emotions gives children the opportunity to experience a level of self-expression not typically allowed in home or social situations. Through the safety and security provided in play therapy, a child can express feelings in a healthy way that would have otherwise emerged naturally as behaviours of concerns or incidents of upset.

If you know someone who could benefit from play therapy, please get in contact and we can see how play therapy could give someone you love superpowers.