Playtime can be serious business

Terry Boyle has seen her business change quite a bit over the last 16 years.

What she started 16 years ago as basically a two-person operation geared toward helping kids, the Center for Child and Family Therapy, has now expanded into one of the county’s foremost centers dealing with child and family therapy.

The center, which first opened in Silverdale in 1990, now has two branches to help kids and their families across the county deal with a variety of issues. Headquartered at 7500 Old Military Road NE in Bremerton and with its newest location at 104 Tremont in Port Orchard, opened in March of this year, the focus is helping as many kids in the area as possible.

“We cover the gamut of any kind of kid issues or family issues,” said Jeffrey Weist, an associate of the center. “Kids that have gone through abuse, have depression, stress disorders...any kind of issue that kids have, we cover it.”

Between the two locations, the center has more than 10 therapists and specialists dedicated to providing therapeutic assessments and treatment for children and their families. While each of the therapists has an area of specialty, the overall focus of the center is on kids, teenagers and families

But what makes the newest Port Orchard center unique is the fact it is one of the few treatment centers in the area that specializes in play therapy.

Play therapy is just that — using play time as therapy for children up to 12 years of age. It’s really a phrase that covers a number of different treatment methods, all of which make use of one or more of the natural benefits of playing.

But it differs from regular playtime, as a therapist can help a child systematically address and resolve their own problems.

The center has a play room specifically set up with a number of different toys that not only help the child feel a bit more comfortable but help them express a number of emotions and often offer windows into what is troubling the child.

Weist said a good example is asking a child to pick out play creatures to represent family members, and place them in a sand box. Many times the chosen figurines point a clear path to what is or has been troubling them.

“Children communicate through play,” Weist said. “Play therapy is about the metaphors that they do in play. And actually, the kids will gravitate towards problems. So within the first session, they are showing me what their issues are quite quickly.”

Play therapy is just one of the many services that the center provides. Other methods of treatment that are offered include marital and couples therapy, art therapy, relaxation training and parenting education.

Both the Bremerton and Port Orchard locations are open Monday through Friday by appointment.

Comment on this story.

COMMENTING RULES: We encourage an open exchange of ideas in our online community, but we ask you to follow our guidelines for respecting community standards. In a nutshell, don't say anything you wouldn't want your mother to read.