PLLC
play therapy for emotional well-being
Welcome
"To play it out is the most natural self-healing process in childhood." ~ Erik Erikson
A warm welcome to you. I am a child and family psychotherapist with over 10 years of experience and founder of 'Play It Out! PLLC'. It is my passion and privilege to work with young children (typically 8 and under) to help them heal through emotional and social challenges, and to support their caregivers in becoming their best advocates. I specialize in 'Play Therapy' - an approach that utilizes the therapeutic qualities of play to connect with a child in their native language (play :), while facilitating their expression and meaning-making of impactful happenings, related emotions and needs. Play looks different for each child and I strive to understand and support each child's unique ways of being and playing. Alongside my work with children, I also enjoy supporting parents during the trying phases of parenting with tools that promote strengthening the parent-child connection - a super-protective factor in a child's emotional wellbeing.
I am honored that over the years my practice has become a resource for many BlPOC and neurodivergent families. I hold a personal connection to this intersection as a South Asian autistic-ADHD therapist, raising a neurodivergent kiddo myself. I strive to provide anti-oppressive support to families, bringing empathy and collaborative support to parents while centering your child's experience, needs and their wisdom in this world.
I also hold the honor of co-authoring a book, 'Parenting at the Intersections: Raising Neurodivergent Children of Color'. I also run an adjacent initiative, 'Parent Village', which offers support to parents globally and in community.
If you feel like I could be of support to you on your journey, please feel free to reach out - it would be my pleasure to assist in any way I can .
Why "Play It Out?"
“Play Therapy is based upon the fact that play is the child’s natural medium of self expression ... It is an opportunity which is given to the child to ‘play out’ his feelings and problems just as in certain types of adult therapy an individual ‘talks out’ his difficulties.” ~Virginia Axline
Play is a child’s primary language of expression. It is the way in which they subconsciously express their thoughts, emotions and experiences and make meaning meaning of them. ‘Play it out’ is an expression that refers to this natural tendency to ‘play out’ their thoughts, emotions and experiences. The idea is that when a child is able to outwardly express what they holding in their bodies and minds, with a safe and nonjudgmental person, they feel less burdened. And when this happens in a therapeutic environment in the presence of a trained specialist in play therapy, the professional can help them process their play and heal through it. Here, toys become the child's words and play becomes the child’s language, to help children therapeutically work through emotional, behavioral and cognitive difficulties and to develop strengths to manage their world.
For more info about play therapy, check out my FAQ.