Angéla’s fee is €75 per session
Psychotherapy Training and Accreditation
Angéla holds a Post Graduate Diploma in Play Therapy from the Children’s Therapy Center (CTC) (QQI certified, Level 9) and a BA (Hons) Degree in Early Years Education from Technological University Dublin (TUD).
She is completing an MA in Creative Psychotherapy (Humanistic and Integrative Modality). Angéla is a pre-accredited therapist with the Irish Association for Play Therapy and Psychotherapy (IAPTP) and adheres to their code of ethics.
Counselling and Psychotherapeutic Approach
Angéla’s training and approach are humanistic and integrative. The Play Therapy Room is a therapeutic setting that offers the child or adolescent a space for self-expression by providing a developmentally appropriate environment where their expression is welcome.
In the Play Therapy room, children enter into a dynamic therapeutic relationship with the therapist that enables them to express themselves, explore and make sense of the world in which they live, and resolve any difficult or painful experiences through play.
Angéla believes that the power of the relationship between the therapist and the child is the pathway for developmental growth, trust and healing. The language used by Angéla is integral in allowing the client to feel safe and express their inner world.
The different therapeutic approaches used by Angéla is tailored to the child’s needs. These include Cognitive Behavioural Therapy ( CBT), the Embodiment-Projection-Role (EPR) model, Jungian analytical play therapy, and Erickson play therapy. Between these models, Angéla offers the child creative art, drawing, painting, sensory play, dance, drama, storytelling, puppets, sand play, pretend play, play creations and meditation.
Angéla’s work with older children and adolescents may facilitate creative media activities that support adolescents in making sense of their feelings, thoughts or behaviour in a safe and secure environment where they can access their inner selves.
Angéla schedules intake and review sessions with parents to provide support. She believes working in partnership with parents is vital in this therapeutic journey.
Counselling Experience and Areas of Interest
Angéla has experience in a community setting. She works with issues including emotional or behavioural problems, communication difficulties, delayed or uneven development, learning difficulties, relationship difficulties (parent/child/peer/ siblings), family disruptions such as illness or divorce, grief or loss, chronic illness/hospitalisation, bonding and attachment issues, anxiety, sadness, fear, panic, worry, bullying, low self-esteem, poor play skills, ADHD.
Angéla is interested in working with parents to help them strengthen their bond with their children by offering parents creative skills and helping them become happier, healthier, and more fully themselves. Angéla is particularly interested in working with Daniel J. Siegel’s approach, which offers parents parenting skills and an understanding of their child’s whole brain.
Structure of Child Play Therapy
Angéla follows the following structure when engaging in Child Play Therapy:
- Parent Intake Session which is one hour long
- Depending on the case there may be more that one parent intake session (2 or 3 sessions)
- Child Play Therapy sessions are 50 minutes long
- Parent consultation/review sessions after every six play therapy sessions, again one hour long
- The minimum number of play therapy sessions for a child is between 12 to 15 sessions.
- A closing parent consultation session which is one hour long.
