Trauma and Play Therapy

With Kids are the largest play therapy organisation in Scotland. Our therapists have a wide, varied experience of supporting children who have diverse experiences of adversity and trauma in their lives.Play therapy can often be mistaken by professionals and the public alike as being a bit of play and talk. For children play is a serious business and are often surprised by adults who understand their communication through play. In our experience children who have access to therapeutic support early in childhood go on to develop positive coping strategies to life events and are able to develop stable relationships often breaking a generational pattern of chaotic lifestyles.With Kids seminars and workshopsWe firmly believe in sharing knowledge and information to promote an understanding of children's emotional and mental health through webinars, face to face workshops and bespoke training for organisations.Want to train as a play therapist?A play therapist is trained to support children’s socioemotional development, reduce anxiety, develop self-confidence and self-esteem with a mixture of up to date research and knowledge from the field of psychology, neurobiology, psychodynamic theory and developmental theory.With Kids, in collaboration with Queen Margaret University deliver a part-time BAPT accredited MSc in Play Therapy, this is fully booked this year. To note interest for September 2024 contact training@withkids.org.ukThe trainerJeanne McLaughlin – MA Psychology; PG cert Autism; PG Dip Play TherapyBAPT registered Play therapist (R) and BAPT approved Clinical Supervisor(R) at With KidsJeanne has spent 30 years working with children from 0 to 14 years in a variety of settings and developed the infant/child development module on the With Kids and Queen Margaret University MSc in Play Therapy.Jeanne's training aims to share a play therapy perspective to help adults hear what children are trying to say and explore how children understand the world. Using the latest advances in neurobiology these webinars offer practical applications of current thinking to improve adult-child relationships at home, at school and in the wider community.PublicationsMcLaughlin, J. (2023) The wonder of playfulness. Inspirationally Playful- People, papers and practices that have inspired play practitioners and researchers. Published by the Child and Adolescent Health Research Group (CAHRG) of the research Centre for Health (ReaCH) at Glasgow Caledonian University in association with the International Play Association (IPA)McLaughlin, J. (2021) The journey from face to face child centred play therapy to online sessions: Reflections from play therapists during COVID lockdown from March 2020 to June 2020. British Journal of Play TherapyMcLaughlin, J. (2015) The role of the dollhouse in the play therapy toolkit. The Journal of the International and UK Societies of Play and Creative Arts Therapies. pp 8-13.