About me

My name is Andrea Smith and I am a Play Therapist. I have worked in this role for more than 10 years. I work in a private setting from my therapy room in Halifax. I work closely with parents, teachers and outside agencies to support the children I am working with.

My Experience

Certified Play Therapist (APAC qualified and registered. Accredited by PTUK)
Certified Autplay Therapist
Working with anxiety, trauma, abuse, bullying, nightmares, family separation, loss of a loved one and many more
Working with children who have learning difficulties, including ADHD and ASD
Working with children aged 4 to 12
Adhere to PTUK code of ethics
Have regular clinical supervision to maintain excellent practise
Over 23 years experience working with children.

My Journey

I began working as a primary teacher in mainstream and in special educational needs. I saw many children who suffered emotional difficulties and realised how they struggled to learn, concentrate or develop good relationships with their peers. Many had additional learning needs and were not able to access the education being provided for them. It seemed that they were often not understood and the techniques used to help them were not working. I knew there must be a way to reach these children who seemed cut off from the world. This is where my journey into play therapy began. I spent many years training to be a therapist and have seen the benefits of this type of therapy. As a teacher I would ask a child why they had done something, and their response would often be ‘I don’t know’. I now realise that children rarely have developed their language or emotional maturity to be able to explain their actions.

Play Therapy allows children to act out their traumas without having to communicate in words. Many are able to regress to an earlier stage in their development that had been missed. They feel safe to go back and repair what they had missed. Through metaphor, stories and play, I can understand how they are feeling and I can reflect this back to them, as many do not know how they felt or what had happened. I see children who were angry or unable to learn, transform into children who can now begin to love themselves and develop loving relationships.

I have seen the benefits of Play Therapy and I hope that I will have the opportunity to meet with you and your child to give them the chance to also benefit from this work.