Early Childhood Therapy

Therapy for Young Children (Ages 0–8)

The early years set the stage for a child’s emotional health and relationships. At Rum River Counseling, we provide gentle, play-based therapy to help young children feel understood, supported, and safe.
Our therapists specialize in working with children who may be:

Struggling with big emotions like anger, fear, or sadness
Adjusting to divorce, new siblings, or family transitions
Showing behavioral changes at home or school
Healing from early trauma, loss, or attachment challenges

How We Help

For children, play is their language—and therapy gives them a place to express what words can’t yet capture. Using approaches like play therapy, parent-child sessions, and emotional regulation coaching, we help children explore feelings and learn healthy ways to cope.

Parents are part of the process too. Together, we strengthen the connection between you and your child, building trust, understanding, and confidence.

Our Goals

Support emotional expression and self-regulation
Build secure attachment between child and caregiver
Encourage positive behavior and coping skills
Lay a foundation for lifelong emotional wellbeing

What is Play & Art Therapy?

Play/art therapy provides a therapeutic counseling setting where spontaneous, experiential, creative activity provides a forum during sessions to promote self expression, change and healing.

The clients are usually children; however, adolescents and adults can, and do, benefit from play/art therapy as well. People of all ages express themselves both verbally and non-verbally.

In play/art therapy, the client selects toys (and in some modalities animals) for self reflections and exploration of personal growth issues. Through play/art, the client represents and processes their own unique inner world and the dissonance with the larger world.

Therapeutic play/art includes, but is not limited to, activities such as drawing, using puppets, and dramatic or fantasy activities. The play/art therapist facilitates this experience by creating a safe and accepting environment for the client.

Who would benefit from play or art therapy?

Play/art therapy is helpful for children in a wide range of situations. For example, children and adolescents who are coping with parental conflict, divorce, or who have witnessed domestic violence, can benefit from play/art therapy.

Also, children who have experienced loss, such as illness or death of a loved one, or who have been traumatized by abuse, disasters or serious accidents may also find play therapy helpful.

In play/art therapy, a child’s anxiety about a traumatic event can be reduced, feelings are expressed, trust in self and others increases, and a sense of competence is enhanced.

Adults benefit by using a non-verbal form of expression, adding fun and spontaneity and previous stages of development to their sessions.