Play Therapy in Walnut Creek
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Explore Our Specializations
Play Therapy
Play therapy provides children with a structured space to work through distress, anxiety, and trauma by using therapeutic activities to process thoughts and feelings that they may not have the words or language yet to speak. Using puppets, drawing, and therapeutic toys and games, kids are able to act out real world worries and process difficult memories at their own pace. Doing so creates a sense of control over stressful experiences in a space that feels safe and free from judgment. Observing the play helps identify metaphors that build a trusting bond and offers a chance to practice new ways of reacting to stressors.
SPACE Treatment
Supportive Parenting for Anxious Childhood Emotions (SPACE) can be instrumental for families where a child is struggling with anxiety and OCD. Unlike ERP or talk therapy, the focus is entirely on the parents, which can be ideal for kids who are too overwhelmed for exposure therapy or families who have tried other treatments without seeing results. Parents learn how to identify the 'accommodation behaviors,' that families often do to help their child avoid distress but actually keeps the anxiety cycle going. By working through a structured plan, you will learn how to replace those habits with a specialized type of support that validates your child while building their confidence to handle tough moments. It is a practical, 8-12 session roadmap that gives parents the tools to manage meltdowns and finally shift the energy in your home from constant high alert to a place of resilience.
Child-Parent Psychotherapy (CPP)
CPP focuses on the relationship between you and your child, helping strengthen your bond through connection rather than correction. Sessions include you and your child together so we can better understand your child’s needs through play, behavior, and body language. Families may talk through difficult experiences in a simple, age appropriate way, helping your child make sense of what happened and feel more comfortable bringing it up. CPP also gives caregivers space to work through feelings such as guilt, worry, or frustration, along with the reactions that may come up while supporting a child through stress or change. CPP can be a lot like guided play. Your child might draw, use toys, act out stories, or play pretend as a way of showing the feelings that are hard to put into words. In this space parents begin to see what their child may be trying to communicate, such as needing comfort, feeling overwhelmed, or struggling with something that confuses them. Sessions can also support concerns like tantrums, separation anxiety, sleep issues, fears, or behavior changes. Together, we help your child feel more settled, more connected, and more able to share what they are feeling with the person they rely on most.
Diane Aguilar, LCSW
Samantha Weiss, LCSW
What we help with:
Infant bonding and attachment
Feeding or sleeping changes
Excessive crying or difficulty soothing
Tantrums and meltdowns
Aggression or hitting
Separation anxiety
Clinginess
Sleep struggles
Fears, phobias, and worries
Regression
Grief or loss
Divorce or family changes
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Our Preferred Evidence-Based Treatments
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is an empirically supported treatment that helps change distressing thought patterns that contribute to anxiety and depression. Through CBT, you'll learn to identify and challenge negative thoughts, reframe irrational beliefs, and replace them with healthier, more realistic perspectives. CBT also focuses on breaking patterns of self-doubt and worry by learning how to re-evaluate situations and adopt more constructive thinking. These tools empower you to make lasting changes in how you think and respond.
ERP is a structured therapy that helps reduce distress from obsessive thoughts and compulsive behaviors. It involves gradual, guided exposure to feared situations or thoughts without doing the habits or rituals you usually do to feel better. This process helps decrease anxiety over time and breaks the cycle of obsessions and rituals. You remain fully present and supported throughout, learning new ways to tolerate discomfort and regain control. ERP is especially effective for OCD, skin picking, hair pulling, and related anxiety challenges. Sessions are available in person and via telehealth throughout California.
Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) combines cognitive-behavioral techniques with mindfulness principles to help individuals manage emotions, navigate challenges, and improve relationships. It focuses on four key areas: mindfulness, distress tolerance, emotion regulation, and interpersonal effectiveness. By building these skills, DBT empowers individuals to replace destructive patterns with practical, lasting strategies that promote resilience, balance, and a greater sense of control in daily life.
EMDR helps your brain reprocess stuck memories so they no longer feel overwhelming or intense. Unprocessed experiences can trigger or worsen anxiety, shame, distress, and physiological reactions. After EMDR, difficult experiences often feel neutral, distant, or easier to manage. We use techniques like eye movements or handheld tappers to activate both sides of the brain, supporting your brain’s natural ability to heal and make sense of the distressing experiences. Sessions follow a structured 8-phase protocol to help you build resilience and process memories, while fully awake and alert. EMDR is effective for distress related to loss, illness, trauma, childhood wounds, and relationship pain.
1870 Olympic Blvd
Walnut Creek, CA 94596
925-830-7900
Play Therapy
Play therapy provides children with a structured space to work through distress, anxiety, and trauma by using therapeutic activities to process thoughts and feelings that they may not have the words or language yet to speak. Using puppets, drawing, and therapeutic toys and games, kids are able to act out real world worries and process difficult memories at their own pace. Doing so creates a sense of control over stressful experiences in a space that feels safe and free from judgment. Observing the play helps identify metaphors that build a trusting bond and offers a chance to practice new ways of reacting to stressors.
SPACE Treatment
Supportive Parenting for Anxious Childhood Emotions (SPACE) can be instrumental for families where a child is struggling with anxiety and OCD. Unlike ERP or talk therapy, the focus is entirely on the parents, which can be ideal for kids who are too overwhelmed for exposure therapy or families who have tried other treatments without seeing results. Parents learn how to identify the 'accommodation behaviors,' that families often do to help their child avoid distress but actually keeps the anxiety cycle going. By working through a structured plan, you will learn how to replace those habits with a specialized type of support that validates your child while building their confidence to handle tough moments. It is a practical, 8-12 session roadmap that gives parents the tools to manage meltdowns and finally shift the energy in your home from constant high alert to a place of resilience.
Child-Parent Psychotherapy (CPP)
CPP focuses on the relationship between you and your child, helping strengthen your bond through connection rather than correction. Sessions include you and your child together so we can better understand your child’s needs through play, behavior, and body language. Families may talk through difficult experiences in a simple, age appropriate way, helping your child make sense of what happened and feel more comfortable bringing it up. CPP also gives caregivers space to work through feelings such as guilt, worry, or frustration, along with the reactions that may come up while supporting a child through stress or change. CPP can be a lot like guided play. Your child might draw, use toys, act out stories, or play pretend as a way of showing the feelings that are hard to put into words. In this space parents begin to see what their child may be trying to communicate, such as needing comfort, feeling overwhelmed, or struggling with something that confuses them. Sessions can also support concerns like tantrums, separation anxiety, sleep issues, fears, or behavior changes. Together, we help your child feel more settled, more connected, and more able to share what they are feeling with the person they rely on most.