1:1 play therapy for all children
When tough things happen in adults' lives they might talk to someone to make sense of their loss, trauma or sadness. Children need something different.
Children's natural language is play, and when children experience difficult and upsetting things they need a way to process what has happened in a way that their brains and development can handle.
Play therapy provides a space for children to do this important work and to do it in a way that is safe, gentle and nurturing.
ADHD Girls empowerment programme
It has been estimated that children with ADHD receive over 20,000 negative comments by the age of 10.
This is not only heart-breaking, it's damaging to children's developing confidence, sense of self and feelings of belonging in this world.
At Twenty Thousand Good Things, I work to support children and their families to push back against the endless barrage of negativity with an empowerment programme designed for your child's unique needs.
Our kids deserve to hear twenty thousand good things.
Let's get started today, together. You're not alone in this.
About me
Hi, I'm Gabrielle. I am a BAPT qualified play therapist with 7 years of professional experience working therapeutically with children in Edinburgh schools.
I have worked with children who:
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Are neurodivergent
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Have care experience
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Have faced trauma, including traumatic loss
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Are struggling with school
I offer 1:1 non-directive child-centred play therapy for children aged 3 to 12. In addition to play therapy sessions, I have developed a creative arts therapeutic programme to support girls who have ADHD.
I received a late-in-life ADHD diagnosis, which has sparked in me both a personal and professional desire to make life better for girls with ADHD.
I created Twenty Thousand Good Things after reading an article by Michael S. Jellinek, a professor of psychiatry and paediatrics at Harvard Medical School, in which he estimated that children with ADHD will have received 20,000 negative comments by age 10.
My goal is to provide some fight back against this self-worth damaging reality, and to help create opportunities to begin to make space to hear 20,000 good things instead.
Get in touch today or find out more in my FAQ.
Frequently Asked Questions
What happens in a play therapy session?
What happens in a play therapy session?
The beauty of play therapy means that every session looks different, because every child is different. What you can expect to see is a room with many different toys and materials which children can use to explore their experiences, express their feelings and experiment with as they use their bodies and imaginations to process whatever experiences or difficulties have brought them to the playroom.
This might look like using sensory materials like kinetic sand, creating art with paint, creating small worlds with miniatures, role playing with dress up, using dolls or dollhouses to explore their own experiences or worries and much more.
In our play therapy sessions I do not generally direct children, I set any boundaries needed to keep everyone safe and my role is to be with the child, witnessing their play and their emotions, supporting them by reflecting what I see, wondering out loud about what they are showing me and communicating that they are safe, never judged and are accepted just as they are.
Play therapy is a beautiful way to help children work through any of the painful experiences life can bring us, I love talking about play therapy so I am happy to talk about it in more detail.
What does the ADHD programme involve?
As a person with ADHD I know how being neurodivergent in a neurotypical world can affect self-esteem, confidence, friendships and overall happiness and identity.
I offer a unique therapeutic service that supports girls with ADHD who are feeling shame, burn out, overwhelm or confusion. The experience of being a girl with ADHD can bring specific questions, doubts, worries and fears which can, if unaddressed, impact self-esteem and confidence. I have developed the Twenty Thousand Good Things Programme as a way to provide a creative, playful and non-threatening way to talk about, understand and make sense of an ADHD diagnosis and to support a neuro-affirming sense of self.
The structured 12-week intervention 1:1 focuses on learning about and understanding ADHD experiences such as executive-dysfunction challenges, exploring the feelings associated with these difficulties as well as hacks and strategies for managing these difficulties. Just as important as the exploration of difficulties and challenges is the uncovering, amplification and celebration of neurodivergent joy and strengths.
We want girls to finish this programme feeling more confident about who they are, more knowledgable about their brains and how they work, more able to manage the overwhelm that can come with being ADHD, and more able to advocate for their rights to get the supports they need to thrive.
Location, Time, & Price
Therapy sessions are £60 and last 50 minutes occuring every week at the same time and day.
Appointments are currently available on:
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Saturdays 930-3pm
Sessions are located at: The Life Academy Wellbeing Centre, 3 B Greenhill Park, Edinburgh EH10 4DW
Get in touch
I know that reaching out for therapy can feel like a big, sometimes overwhelming step. It’s so important that you feel safe, supported, and confident that this is the right fit for your child and your family.
Once you’ve contacted me via the form below, I offer a free phone consultation so we can gently explore your needs, answer any questions, and talk through whether I’m the right person to support you at this time. From there, we can look at next steps together, at a pace that feels right for you.
You're not alone in this.