School-based Play Therapy
School-based play therapy is a therapeutic approach, either individual or group based delivered within the school setting, where children are supported to express and process their thoughts and feelings through play and creativity either indoors in a confidential therapeautic space or outdoors. It provides a safe, consistent space within the school day, helping children access support without additional disruption, while also involving collaboration with teachers and parents. Through this process, the therapist offers guidance and practical strategies to both parents and school staff, helping them better understand and support the child’s emotional needs, while the child develops emotional regulation, improves relationships, and becomes more able to engage in learning.
School-based Individual Therapy
Therapy in schools is not a quick fix. Many children benefit from a structured block of school-based therapy sessions, typically around 12 to 20 sessions. This provides consistency, predictability, and emotional safety within the school environment, while allowing space for emotional expression, processing, and change over time. Regular reviews are built into the process, involving parents or carers and school staff where appropriate, to reflect on progress and decide together whether sessions should continue, be reduced, or come to an end. Some children may need fewer sessions, while others may benefit from longer term support depending on their needs and presentation within school and at home.
A typical school-based therapy journey begins with a planning conversation with school staff and parents or carers, followed by a shared understanding of the child’s needs, strengths, and any key concerns affecting emotional wellbeing, behaviour, or learning. Where appropriate, an initial meeting may also take place to agree practical arrangements such as timing, setting, and how communication will be managed between school and home.
Alongside direct work with the child, support is also offered to parents and school staff. This may include reflective conversations, guidance around emotional regulation and behaviour, support in understanding the child’s internal experiences, and collaborative thinking about how to respond in ways that are consistent, containing, and supportive. This shared approach helps strengthen the child’s sense of safety across both home and school environments.
Therapy then moves into a regular weekly session within the school setting. This provides a consistent and contained space where the child can explore emotions, experiences, relationships, and internal states in a way that feels safe and supported within their everyday environment. Over time, this can support regulation, emotional understanding, and changes in how the child experiences themselves and others within school and beyond.
At the end of a block of therapy, a written end of block report is provided. This summarises the work completed, progress observed in the school context, key themes that have emerged, and any recommendations or suggested next steps for continued support.
School-based Outdoor Group Therapy
Group outdoor therapy is a structured therapeutic approach where a small group of up to 6 children come together in a safe outdoor environment to explore thoughts, feelings, and experiences through guided relational and sensory based experiences. Being outdoors offers a natural, regulating space that can support emotional expression, connection, and a sense of grounding. The therapist holds the group process, supporting children to engage with one another, develop relational awareness, and build emotional understanding in a shared setting.
This approach allows children to experience connection with peers while being gently supported to notice and navigate emotions, boundaries, and communication in real time. The outdoor environment can also reduce pressure and increase accessibility for children who find traditional indoor settings overwhelming.
Each week, the group follows a flexible therapeutic structure rather than a fixed programme of tasks. There are no set outcomes or expected performances. Instead, children are supported to explore, connect, and regulate within a shared outdoor space, guided by what is happening in the group in the moment.
Activities may naturally include:
Children arriving and settling into the group space in a supported, predictable way, building a sense of safety and routine over time
Exploring the outdoor environment through movement, sensory experiences, and curiosity based interaction
Engaging in collaborative or parallel experiences such as building, creating, collecting natural materials, or problem solving together
Opportunities for imaginative or symbolic expression, where children may express feelings through storying, role play, or use of natural objects
Moments of reflection, grounding, or regulation supported by the therapist, including pauses, noticing feelings, and returning to safety when needed
Peer interaction that may include negotiating, sharing, boundaries, repair after moments of conflict, and learning how to be with others in a supported way
The therapist gently guides the emotional and relational process throughout, responding to what each child brings into the group, rather than directing a fixed weekly agenda. Over time, this consistency allows children to build trust, emotional awareness, and more secure ways of relating to others.
Includes:
8 x Group 75 minute outdoor therapy sessions for up to 6 children
(2 hours input per session including preparation and therapeutic holding)
2 x 30 minute telephone parent or carer meetings for each child
End of block written report per child
Each report summarises engagement, emotional themes, relational development, progress observed within the group process, and any recommendations for ongoing support or next steps.
School-based Group Therapy
School-based group therapy for up to four children provides a safe, structured space where children can explore emotions, build confidence, and learn in shared experiences together. Working in a small group allows each child to feel seen and supported while also developing social skills, empathy, and communication. Sessions are carefully guided to meet individual needs while using shared experiences to strengthen emotional regulation and connection.