

Play Solutions INC.
Play Solutions INC.
Sherry M. Becker, MSW, LCSW, RPT

"Bird fly, fish swim, and children play."
Garry L. Landreth, Play Therapy; The Art of the Relationship
"Bird fly, fish swim, and children play."
Garry L. Landreth, Play Therapy; The Art of the Relationship

Services Provided
Comprehensive Clinical Assessment
Individual Session
Family Session
Parent Session

Treatment Modalities
Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing
(Please click on each of the above to learn more)


Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) Services
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) Services

What is EMDR?
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing is a relatively new therapy originally developed in 1987 to help people deal with the effects of traumatic experiences. It is an extremely effective treatment for children, as well as adults, who have had traumatic experiences. It is also helpful for a variety of emotional and behavioral difficulties.
How does trauma affect us?
Everyone has traumatic experiences during their lives. The effects can be physical, psychological, or a combination. Most people recover quickly, however some do not and this trauma builds inside of us and creates a "sore spot" reaction. Sometimes the effect of a trauma can stay with us and affect our lives long after the event. The support of a trained specialist may be needed to aid in recovery.
The effects on children:
Sometimes the traumas a child experiences are easy to see, such as a sudden death or a car accident. However, this is not always the case. The traumas may have taken place so early in life that they are not remembered or the child may have pushed them out of mind or “forgotten” them. Parents may not realize that the difficulty a child is having is related to a past trauma. When children do not remember they often show the effects through behavior. These are often signs of "emotional stuck points" (ESP). For example, they may not laugh, play, or smile much. They may be too obedient and willing to go with any adult. They may be unable to stand up for themselves or over-react when they believe that they have been treated unfairly. Sometimes parents know something is very wrong, but are not aware that anything traumatic has happened. "Emotional stuck points" or "sore spots" tend to be less clear-cut than specific traumas.
Why is a traumatic experience so special?
This seems to have something to do with the way the brain processes information when traumas occur. Let’s think about how ordinary memories are formed. Usually, when something happens, your eyes, ears and other senses are the first to respond. This ‘body’ information is then stored as memories. These usually have a story-like quality, and contain your impressions, and interpretations, as well as facts about what happened. When something dangerous happens, your body and brain respond in a different way. Your body recognizes the emergency and takes protective action; its messages to the brain seem to be put into an ‘emergency store’ often without going through the normal memory processing. These experiences – with the original sound thoughts and feelings – are recorded in your brain in the ’raw’ unprocessed form. Sometimes the brain does not process them in the normal way to form ordinary memories. They are even stored in a different part of the brain. These events can stay with us through adulthood.
How are traumatic memories different?
Traumatic memories seem to become locked into the brain in their “raw” form. When these past memories are recalled they can be very upsetting because it can feel like the trauma is happening all over again in the present. People who have been traumatized can have flashbacks, nightmares and outbursts, making it very difficult for them to deal with ordinary stressful situations.
How can EMDR help?
EMDR is an approach that seems to help ‘unblock’ the brain’s processing so that traumatic memories can become “ordinary” memories. We do not know precisely how this treatment works. It may have something to do with the alternating left-right stimulation of the brain – or with a stage of sleep known as REM sleep, in which the eyes often move from side to side. The eye movements may help to process the unconscious material.
What does EMDR involve?
EMDR involves asking the individual to think about the upsetting events after which he or she is asked to look at the therapist’s finger and follow it back and forth for about 15 to 30 seconds. These eye movements (EMs) are called bilateral stimulation (BLS). Other types of left-right stimulation such as hand taps, drumming, or the use of thera-tappers might be used if the eye movements are too difficult. After a few seconds of eye movements or other bilateral stimulation, the therapist stops, asks the client to take a deep breath, let go of the image, and rest. The therapist then asks what comes up next in his or her mind. Typically something changes and they report a new image, thought, feeling, or physical sensation. They are asked to hold this in mind and follow another set of eye movements, hand taps or sounds. Sometimes upsetting thoughts and feelings come up and need to be dealt with. The procedure continues (unless the STOP signal is given – see below) until the event no longer seems upsetting.
Feeling safe:
When upsetting experiences and feelings are being worked on, it is very important that the child feels safe and in control at all times. The therapist will usually set up a “safe place” with the child before starting to use EMDR. This procedure involves the child imagining a place where he or she feels safe, happy, calm and using eye movements to “install” a strong image of this. This safe place is a type of relaxation technique. It can be a ‘haven’ for the child during EMDR or between sessions at any time.
The STOP signal:
This gives the individual control, and helps him or her to feel safe. They are asked to raise a hand if they want to stop. This alerts the therapist to ‘stop immediately’. The client is told that it is important to remember “it is your own brain that will be doing the healing and you are the one in control”.

Play Therapy Services
Play Therapy Services
What is Play Therapy?
What is Play Therapy?
Play therapy is a structured, theoretically based approach to therapy that builds on the normal communicative and learning processes of children (Carmichael, 2006; Landreth, 2002; O'Connor & Schaefer, 1983).
The curative powers inherent in play are used in many ways. Therapists strategically utilize play therapy to help children express what is troubling them when they do not have the verbal language to express their thoughts and feelings (Gil, 1991).
In play therapy, toys are like the child's words and play is the child's language (Landreth, 2002). Through play, therapists may help children learn more adaptive behaviors when there are emotional or social deficits (Pedro-Carroll & Reddy, 2005).


How is Play Therapy Different?
How is Play Therapy Different?
Play therapy differs from regular play in that the therapist helps children to address and resolve their own problems. Play therapy builds on the natural way that children learn about themselves and their relationships in the world around them (Axline, 1947; Carmichael, 2006; Landreth, 2002).
Through play therapy, children learn to communicate with others, express feelings, modify behavior, develop problem-solving skills, and learn a variety of ways of relating to others. Play provides a psychological distance from their problems and allows expression of thoughts and feelings appropriate to their development.


How Will Play Therapy Benefit a Child?
How Will Play Therapy Benefit a Child?
Research supports the effectiveness of play therapy with children experiencing a wide variety of social, emotional, behavioral, and learning problems, including children whose problems are related to life stressors, such as divorce, death, relocation, hospitalization, chronic illness, assimilate stressful experiences, physical and sexual abuse, domestic violence, and natural disasters (Reddy, Files-Hall & Schaefer, 2005).

Through Play-Therapy Children Will:
Through Play-Therapy Children Will:
- Become more responsible for behaviors and develop more successful strategies
- Develop new and creative solutions to problem
- Develop respect and acceptance to self and others
- Learn to experience and express emotion
- Cultivate empathy and respect for thoughts and feelings of others
- Learn new social skills and relational skills with family
- Develop self-efficacy and thus a better assuredness about their abilities
