SLO Child Development Center

Play Therapy Program
Each child enrolled in the Center’s programs participates in our play therapy program. A developmental and behavioral assessment is completed for each child to identify needs to be addressed in an individualized treatment plan. The primary purpose of play therapy sessions is to provide individual time and attention and to facilitate communication with each child. Our specially equipped play therapy rooms provide a space where the child can feel free to communicate through play their feelings, safety issues, and social conflicts. The therapist facilitates communication to the child through the play medium an image of the child’s worth, appropriate social interactions, and self-survival skills.

The atmosphere encourages trust and helps the non-disclosing child toward disclosure when appropriate. The program helps the child build a positive image of self, the world, and his/her own family. The program counteracts the message often given in the dysfunctional family, “don’t feel, don’t trust, and don’t talk.”