What is it?

For younger children we offer specialist counselling and play therapy and for older children aged 12-17 we provide more traditional one-to-one counselling and weekly peer support group meetings.

What does it involve?

Play or sandbox therapy is delivered by specially trained counsellors who observe the child playing in a sand tray using a variety of tactile materials, natural items and items and toys and their observations of how the child uses the playthings can provide an insight into their state of mind and emotional wellbeing. All our centres have fully equipped children’s counselling rooms.

Our Re-Fresh Peer Support Group meets at Lancaster(weekly) and Kendal and Barrow (fortnightly) and provides a full programme of activities and weekly support groups for youngsters to meet, make friends and have fun with others young people affected by cancer or bereavement, either themselves or in their family or network of friends.

How it can help?

Our specialist children's counsellors and play therapists can help younger children make sense of their feelings and the potentially upsetting events that may be going on in their lives. Instead of having to verbally explain what is troubling them, as often takes place in adult therapy, children are encouraged to explore their emotions through creativity and play which enables them to communicate at their own level and at their own pace.

Re-Fresh - The support of friends and peers can have an incredibly positive effect on the mental and physical well-being of a young person. The groups are overseen by experienced youth workers who lead a variety of fun activities including arts and crafts, cooking and games. The meetings take the young people “out of themselves” and acts as a non-judgemental space enabling them to make new friends and support others in similar situations. Young people experiencing illness or bereavement often say the friends they make at Re-Fresh provide a fresh understand or different perspective on their experiences at home.

For more information, you can read more here.