Mental Health Counseling & Play TherapY
For children and adolescents IN
Austin, TExas
PJ Johnson, M.A., M.Ed.
LICENSED PROFESSIONAL COUNSELOR ASSOCIATE
Supervised by Brittany Jones, LPC-S, RPT-S
Helping families find connection, identity, & control.
Play is the process.
"Birds fly, fish swim, & children play." — Gary Landreth
Children tend to possess concrete understandings of the world and are thus limited in their ability to express thoughts and feelings through words alone (Piaget, 1951).
Play therapy provides children with a nonverbal and universal means of expression that allows them to bridge the gap between concrete and abstract thought (Landreth, 2012).
Paying attention to a child’s play offers us a glimpse into their inner world, long before they have the capacity to share it using language.
Therapy that evolves alongside their development.
As children grow, therapy adapts to meet their developing capacities and interests and may include conversation, expressive arts, games, sandtray, and other experiential activities.
Teen counseling offers a uniquely safe environment for teenagers to explore their developing identity, navigate interpersonal conflict, and to invest in the future they are building for themselves.
FOR LITTLES:
Child-Centered Play Therapy
Child Centered Play Therapy is an evidence-based mental health intervention for children, typically ages 3-10, who are experiencing social, emotional, and behavioral challenges. It utilizes children’s primary form of communication — play — to connect, communicate, explore, grow, and heal.
With the guidance of a licensed therapist, play therapy offers a uniquely safe environment to learn about one’s self, explore and express what’s unspoken in the heart, build resilience to challenge, and find peace within themselves.
Research suggests that play therapy supports children in developing & strengthening:
Emotion identification and expression
Self-regulation skills and coping strategies
Self-awareness
Positive identity and sense of self
Self-esteem and self-confidence
Sense of mastery, competence, ability to solve problems
Interpersonal communication and social skills
Nervous system flexibility and emotion regulation
The parent-child relationship
Resilience to trauma & adverse childhood experiences
Adjustment to stressful experiences and life transitions
Coping with grief, chronic illness, and loss
WHEN DESIRED, I CAN ADAPT THIS APPROACH TO MEET THE NEEDS OF YOUR FAMILY:
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Evidence-based clinical mental health care combined with the healing power of the Gospel for willing, Christian clients.
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Supporting children of all neurotypes by honoring their strengths, communication styles, sensory needs, and individual ways of experiencing the world.
Hi,
I’m PJ — a child therapist in Austin, Texas.
I’m passionate about helping children and families move through life with greater joy and peace in the midst of the chaos.
If this resonates, reach out to schedule a complementary 15-minute chat. Together, we can encourage connection, regulation, and growth.
