Welcome to

Space to Play Therapy

Small steps make giant leaps

By discovering this website you have taken the first steps in supporting a child that finds their day to day life a challenge.

If you are the parent or carer of a child that is displaying social or emotional issues or that has experienced difficult times or upsetting events, Space to Play could help your child to explore their thoughts and feelings, through the medium of play, helping them to make sense of their life experiences and to build confidence to cope better in future.

If your child is experiencing low wellbeing, they may find the simplest of daily tasks a struggle, such as making friends or maintaining concentration. Play Therapy could be the answer! Children may not be able to process their own emotions or articulate problems to parents or other adults. Therapeutic Play led by a trained therapist can help your child to explore their feelings and gain resilience in a safe and non-judgemental space to play!

Space to Play offer a variety of interventions to support children, parents and carers and local services.

What is Play Therapy?

Play Therapy is largely provided to children between the ages of 4 and 12 to help explore their lives and freely express suppressed thoughts and emotions through play. Therapeutic play takes place in a safe and comfortable environment, where few rules or limitations are imposed, encouraging free expression and allowing the therapist to observe the child’s choices, decisions and play style. Play Therapy is designed to help children explore their thoughts and feelings, through the medium of play, allowing them to make sense of their life experiences and to discover new and more positive ways to solve problems.

Supporting children and teenagers with social and emotional issues

Therapeutic play supports children suffering with social or emotional issues and helps them to learn to communicate better, adapt their behaviour, develop problem-solving skills and relate to others in a positive way. It is appropriate for Children that are experiencing or have experienced difficult circumstances or upsetting events, such as domestic violence, abuse, trauma, anxiety, environmental change, making friends or dealing with low self-esteem and confidence. Additionally, it is commonly used to support with children diagnosed with behavioural conditions such as ADHD and ODD.

Children can express their feelings easier through play

Play therapy responds to the unique developmental needs of a child, who may often express themselves better through play activities than through verbal communication. The child has the freedom to choose from a wide range of activities and creative media from the therapeutic toolkit, allowing the therapist to observe how the child uses these to communicate thoughts and feelings that are not easily expressed in words.

What is Play Therapy?

About Amy Skelton

Hello, I’m Amy Skelton,

I am a certified Play Therapist and Therapeutic Play Practitioner with eighteen years of experience working with children and young people across Northampton and the surrounding areas.

My Passion...

I recognise that each child is unique with differing life experiences .

I'm passionate in supporting children, families and local services to help them overcome their difficulties, enabling them to be the best that they can be.

I'm experienced in a range of needs and difficulties...

I support children with a range of difficulties, including anxiety, attachment issues, fear, trauma, low self-esteem confidence and many other behavioural or emotional disorders.

"Using a variety of therapeutic techniques my aim is to help children overcome challenging experiences or perhaps deal with ongoing issues that are affecting their daily lives."

Safe and friendly environment

As a therapist, I develop a close and trusting relationship with children by providing a safe, friendly and non-judgemental environment to encourage play of their choice. Using a tailored set of methods and strategies aligned to the child’s needs, I see consistent improvements in their overall wellbeing.

My experience and credentials

Previous roles as an early years Key Worker and as a Speech, Language and Communication Specialist have provided me with a diverse set of skills and a unique understanding of the difficulties faced by the child. I am also an Approved Post Adoption Therapist.