Play Therapy Base

03/06/2026

20/05/2026

Children we support at PTB explore their personal loss and bereavement in their own way though the childs natural language of play.

Children experiencing loss and bereavement often do not process grief in the same way adults do. Their feelings may appear through behaviour, play, anger, withdrawal, clinginess, physical complaints or changes in school presentation rather than words alone.

Play therapy offers children a developmentally appropriate way to explore overwhelming emotions safely. Children naturally communicate through play long before they can fully explain complex feelings verbally. Through symbolic play, creativity, sensory experiences and the therapeutic relationship, children can begin to process confusion, sadness, fear and changes in their world.

Play therapy works because it meets children where they are developmentally, allowing them to express feelings at their own pace without pressure to “talk about it” before they are ready. A safe, attuned therapeutic relationship can help children feel understood, regulated and less alone in their grief.

For many children, healing begins not with finding the right words, but with feeling safe enough to play.

20/05/2026

Play Therapy offers children a safe protected space to process experiences.

Parental separation can bring huge emotional changes for children, even when adults are working hard to protect them. Children may experience anxiety, confusion, divided loyalties, sadness, anger or worries about stability and relationships.
Often, children do not yet have the language or emotional development needed to explain these feelings directly. Instead, emotions may show through behaviour, sleep difficulties, emotional outbursts, withdrawal or changes at school.
Play therapy is developmentally appropriate because play is a child’s natural language. Within the safety of the therapeutic relationship, children can explore feelings symbolically and indirectly through play, creativity and sensory experiences. This can feel far safer than direct questioning or expecting children to sit and talk about painful emotions.
Play therapy supports emotional regulation, understanding and resilience whilst helping children make sense of changes in their family relationships. Importantly, it provides a consistent, attuned space where children can feel emotionally held during times of uncertainty.

15/04/2026

Our children's board gathered the first week of easter the holidays. They had lots of ideas took many pictures and munched through a punnet of strawberries. We are excited to see their ideas and pictures come together.

30/03/2026

Thank you to all of the businesses who kindly sponsored our quiz night on Friday 27th March!

26/03/2026

Join us for a quiz night - tomorrow night in Dalkeith!

Tickets available via Eventbrite or on the door

https://tinyurl.com/uc8ae386

Think you’ve got what it takes to be the ultimate quiz champion? Gather your team, bring your brainpower, and join us for a night of laughter, trivia, and fundraising - with some awesome raffle prizes! 🧠

Organised by Lesley, a Play Therapist here at PTB, all proceeds will go towards the running of our 3 playrooms at our offices in Dalkeith.

When someone chooses to fundraise for us, it does more than bring in vital funds - it helps more people understand why children's mental health matters, and helps us to continue supporting children and their families in our local communities.

Tickets available on Eventbrite. Raffle tickets available on the night, from PTB staff or via [email protected]

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/quiz-night-tickets-1982191893312?utm-campaign=social&utm-content=attendeeshare&utm-medium=discovery&utm-term=listing&utm-source=cp&aff=ebdsshcopyurl

Please note this is an 18+ event

26/03/2026

Children do not learn to regulate on their own. They learn through relationships.

Polyvagal Theory, developed by Dr Stephen Porges, helps us understand how a child’s nervous system responds to safety, danger and threat.

When a child feels safe, their system can settle into connection. When they feel unsafe, their system moves into protection. This is not a choice. It is the nervous system doing its job.

In play therapy, we often see this in how children present.

• Busy, restless or overwhelmed when in a state of fight or flight.
• Withdrawn, quiet or disconnected when in shutdown.
• Curious, engaged and playful when they feel safe.

✨ This is where co regulation becomes central.

Co-regulation is the process of one nervous system supporting another. Before a child can self regulate, they need to experience regulation with a safe adult.

In the playroom, this looks like:

• A calm, regulated therapist.
• Attuned responses to the child’s cues.
• A predictable and emotionally safe environment.
• Staying alongside the child without judgement.
• Matching, then gently guiding the child’s level of arousal.

Over time, these repeated experiences of co regulation begin to shape the child’s nervous system.
What once felt unsafe can begin to feel manageable.
What once led to protection can begin to move towards connection, because regulation is not taught through words.

It is felt through relationship.

23/03/2026

Exciting Monday news to share!

18/03/2026

9 days until Quiz Night! Tickets are available on Eventbrite or via PTB staff.

Raffle tickets also available from staff - £2 per ticket

https://tinyurl.com/2vvmf2v7

Think you’ve got what it takes to be the ultimate quiz champion? Gather your team, bring your brainpower, and join us for a night of laughter, trivia, and fundraising - with some awesome raffle prizes! 🧠

Organised by Lesley, a Play Therapist here at PTB, all proceeds will go towards the running of our 3 playrooms at our offices in Dalkeith.

When someone chooses to fundraise for us, it does more than bring in vital funds - it helps more people understand why children's mental health matters, and helps us to continue supporting children and their families in our local communities.

Tickets available on Eventbrite. Raffle tickets available on the night, from PTB staff or via [email protected]

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/quiz-night-tickets-1982191893312?utm-campaign=social&utm-content=attendeeshare&utm-medium=discovery&utm-term=listing&utm-source=cp&aff=ebdsshcopyurl

Please note this is an 18+ event

27/02/2026

Think you’ve got what it takes to be the ultimate quiz champion? Gather your team, bring your brainpower, and join us for a night of laughter, trivia, and fundraising - with some awesome raffle prizes! 🧠

Organised by Lesley, a Play Therapist here at PTB, all proceeds will go towards the running of our 3 playrooms at our offices in Dalkeith.

When someone chooses to fundraise for us, it does more than bring in vital funds - it helps more people understand why children's mental health matters, and helps us to continue supporting children and their families in our local communities.

Tickets available on Eventbrite. Raffle tickets available on the night, from PTB staff or via [email protected]

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/quiz-night-tickets-1982191893312?utm-campaign=social&utm-content=attendeeshare&utm-medium=discovery&utm-term=listing&utm-source=cp&aff=ebdsshcopyurl

Please note this is an 18+ event