About Us

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​Wholesome Healing opened its doors in the fall of 2016, located in Severna park, MD. We specialize in offering play therapy services to children and in working with parents through family consultation / parental support. We are dedicated to helping children and families feel connected and to helping children thrive. 



Our Mission 

It is our mission that the children and families who come into the playroom will feel seen, heard, understood, and cared for. That they will feel fully accepted by the therapist and free to explore their thoughts, feelings, and experiences. That many options will be available for clients to express themselves in the ways that feel most natural and accessible to them. 

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Our Process

"Therapeutic play allows children the opportunity to express themselves fully and at their own pace, with the assurance that they will be understood and accepted"

- Garry Landreth and Sue Bratton 

 

Play therapy allows children the opportunity to express themselves fully. When children can express themselves fully we can see their needs, their strengths, and their challenges more clearly. We can see what lies underneath  the emotions and behaviors that are causing distress. We can understand the behavioral problems, meltdowns, and other challenges more completely. We can also see the solutions in play therapy. We can watch as they figure out how to problem solve, how they build confidence, and how they start to get their needs met in more healthy and satisfying ways... This information is  then used in consultation with parents, the experts on their own children, in order to collaboratively create strategies and plans to help the child and family thrive. 

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What is Play Therapy?

Play Therapy is a well established discipline for meeting the emotional and behavioral needs of children ages 2 - 12. Through therapeutic play, children are able to use toys and other materials (art, sand, water, etc.) to express themselves, as well as to work towards understanding and making sense of their world and experiences. Play therapy is more than just a therapeutic approach; it is a way of looking at children as innately strong, competent, and complete. The play therapist's role is to create a safe, accepting, and caring environment, with only necessary limits (for the child's physical and emotional safety). In this unique place, the child is free to express him or herself, explore, and experiment...ultimately finding healing. Children come to believe in themselves and their ability to handle the world around them, discovering the strong and capable beings that they are. They develop the ability to make choices, respect boundaries, and respect limits... all through the freedom of play.

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A Holistic Approach

At Wholesome Healing we work with the whole child. Meaning, we take into account the many factors that can impact a child's mental health and behavioral presentation. We take into account sleep, diet, medical history and present functioning, environmental stressors / changes... we recognize that there are many things that can impact the way children express and present themselves in their families and in their worlds, and we take all of this into consideration in our work with them. We consult with outside providers as needed, and also refer to other specialties as indicated, to ensure that clients are receiving comprehensive care.

 

Body Based Approaches

Often the key to addressing emotional and behavioral challenges is through the body. This is the most accessible path to gaining insight into emotions and the most effective way to intervene with difficult behavioral and emotional presentations. At Wholesome Healing we incorporate many body based approaches. We utilize breathwork, yoga, movement in play and nature, and engagement of the senses through a sensory rich play room (including essential oils, sand, water, and more!). We recognize the importance of nature and movement and offer avenues for children to incorporate these elements in their work. 

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More Information On Play Therapy

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