Relational, child-centred,
creative therapy
I offer warm, relational support for children and young people affected by anxiety, stress, and overwhelming experiences. My approach is grounded in child-centred and somatic principles, with close attention to safety, connection, and each child’s unique pace. Children often communicate through play, movement, art, and the relationship itself, long before they can fully put their feelings into words. Part of the work is helping what feels confusing, overwhelming, or unspoken become more understandable, manageable, and safe to express.
Children often show anxiety or depression differently than adults. Instead of naming emotions, it may appear as school refusal, tummy aches, irritability, clinginess, sleep changes, perfectionism, withdrawal, or "meltdowns" after holding it together all day.
Play is a child's natural language. Play-based work helps children express feelings, process both big and small overwhelming experiences, and build emotional language in a safe relationship.
Art offers a gentle way to express what feels hard to say. Drawing and making can support self-understanding, confidence, and emotional development—without any expectation of artistic skill.
Some children carry stress in their body—restlessness, shutdown, tension, or sudden outbursts. Movement and body-based awareness help the nervous system settle, so feelings become easier to manage.
Sandtray offers a contained space where children and young people can express feelings and experiences through symbols and stories—especially when emotions feel confusing or difficult to put into words.
Paul’s Experience
Understanding children
beyond “problem behaviour”
Through working with children across many sessions, Paul has come to understand how deeply sensitive—and at the same time resilient—children are to their environments. What adults often experience as “problem behaviour” is often a child’s way of coping, adapting, or communicating distress.
Deep sensitivity & resilience
Children are highly responsive to their surroundings. They are deeply affected by emotional atmosphere and relationships, while also holding a natural capacity to adapt and recover when given the right support.
Behaviour as communication
Many behaviours emerge when there hasn’t been enough safety or emotional attunement. Shame, confusion, and overwhelm can become expressed through action rather than words.
Supporting child & parent
Paul supports children in building safety, expressing emotions, and gently processing held experiences. Parent consultations help caregivers better understand and support their child.
Using creative and somatic approaches—such as play, movement, art, and sensory-based work— Paul helps children move toward regulation, expression, and a deeper sense of inner safety, while also supporting parents in responding in ways that nurture development and wellbeing.
What Parents Say
Anonymous feedback shared with identifying details removed.
