Referrals can be made by parents, schools, health professionals and social services.
Initial contact
At Dandelion Play Therapy I offer a free telephone consultation to discuss whether Play Therapy might be appropriate for a child.
If so, at Dandelion Play Therapy, a referral form will need to be completed.
If the referral form is completed by a professional, a discussion with and verbal consent is required from the parents/caregivers to progress with the referral and release any identifiable information to Dandelion Play Therapy.
Information gathering and assessment
Play Therapy requires detailed relevant information from the child’s parents/caregivers as well as from any health, social care and education professionals that are involved. This information gathering and assessment will cover aspects of the child’s physical, psychological, social and cognitive development from pre-birth to present day and any presenting difficulties.
This will help all those involved to make an informed decision whether to proceed with Play Therapy, or whether support from other relevant support organisations and resources would be more appropriate.
Contract and consent
A formal signed contract of consent will be required from all parties. This is required from those adults with parental responsibility for the child and may also be required from the wider systems surrounding the child, such as schools or social workers.
This contract is used to confirm agreement for the child to attend Play Therapy.
The child’s consent will be considered throughout the assessment process and will be formalised prior to the commencement of their first Play Therapy session.
Therapy sessions
The number of Play Therapy sessions will be discussed as part of the initial assessment stage and agreed in the therapeutic contract.
Review and closure
Review meetings are essential in helping the people around the child to monitor progress, and also to consider any risks that need addressing or ways additional support can be provided at home, school and in the community.
However, the Play Therapist will not disclose specific details about what the child has played. This is important in order to maintain the child’s trust and feelings of safety with the Play Therapist.
Play Therapy reviews will be held every six weeks as a minimum.
Upon closure, ongoing recommendations will be identified and a final summary report completed if deemed necessary.
