Mary Ellen Sherrill, MSW, LCSW, RPT-S
PARENT INFORMATION LETTER
Dear Parent or Caregiver:
You are being given this information because your child is beginning play therapy with me. Entrusting your child to
a therapist can be anxiety provoking; therefore, I would like to first introduce myself and provide you with
information about my credentials and experience. This will be followed by an explanation of play therapy and how
it works. You are a vital part of the process and its success; therefore, it is important that you understand and
support the therapy process.
My Education, Credentials and Experience
I graduated from The University of Georgia in 1989 with a Master of Social Work (MSW) Degree. I have 23 years
experience in providing individual, group and family therapy. I am a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) in
the State of Texas and a Board Approved Supervisor for the Texas State Board of Social Work Examiners. I am
also a Registered Play Therapist and Supervisor (RPT-S). The Association for Play Therapy (APT) confers the
Registered Play Therapist (RPT) and Registered Play Therapist Supervisor (RPT-S) credentials to licensed mental
health professionals who have provided APT with documentation that they have earned a graduate or higher mental
health degree; completed specific graduate level coursework in child development and child psychopathology;
completed required play therapy coursework; completed a minimum number of play therapy clinical and supervision
hours; and complete ongoing continuing education requirements. Visit www.a4pt.org for more information.
For the past 13 years, I have worked primarily with children who have undergone some degree and type of trauma
(see below for broad definition of trauma.) In addition to providing play therapy, I have developed and taught
workshops locally, nationally and internationally on the effectiveness of Child Centered Play Therapy with
traumatized children. I also have provided 3 years of supervision to play therapists in Australia and New Zealand
and am active in the Australasia Pacific Play Therapy Association, as well as being a member of our national, state
and local play therapy associations. I served one year on the Board for the local association, SHAPT.
Who Should Receive Play Therapy
Children ages 2 – 10 receive play therapy, regardless of the type, severity and duration of the problem.
Additionally, older children who are emotionally and/or developmentally younger than their biological age may also
be assessed for play therapy.
Your child is likely demonstrating a combination of social, emotional, behavioral, cognitive, language and
physiological signs and symptoms that have caused you to be concerned and seek therapy. These signs and
symptoms are just that; they are signs and symptoms of an underlying problem. It is common to think that they can
just be fixed through talking. It is imperative, however, to determine the underlying cause of the symptoms and help
the child truly heal and/or overcome.
The following are categories for which play therapy is recommended:
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Trauma – includes a wide range of events/experiences that can vary in type, origin, duration, frequency and
severity. Regardless of type, the result is psychological distress causing feelings of fear, helplessness,
confusion, sadness, and a range of other emotions. This in turn causes the appearance of the signs and
symptoms in the various domains of functioning (cognitive, behavioral, social, emotional, physical, etc.).
The trauma may be known or unknown at the time therapy begins. Below are different events or situations
that can be traumatic to a child:
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Problems at school such as peer pressure, bullying, rejection, poor academic performance
Losses such as moving, job loss, divorce, death (of family member, friend, school mate, pet)
Bullying or teasing
Changes in family such as birth of a new baby, remarriage and blending families, illness,
disability, sibling going to college
Witness/exposure to violence at home, school or community
Natural disasters
Own illness or disability
Attachment & bonding disruptions in early childhood
Abuse and neglect
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Emotional and Behavioral Disorders - often require therapeutic intervention which can be in addition to or
in place of psychiatric intervention.
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Personality Development - traits, birth order and family dynamics can cause disruption to healthy
functioning.
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Autism Spectrum Disorders including Asperger Syndrome, Autism and Pervasive Developmental Disorder
not otherwise specified. These are characterized by delays in the development of multiple basic functions
including socialization and communication.
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Learning Disorders & Borderline Intellectual Functioning
About Play Therapy
A common misconception is that play therapy is simply providing a child toys to play with while therapist and child
talk. To some extent this is true in certain circumstances related to age of child and phase of therapy child is in. The
remainder of this letter however describes Child Centered Play Therapy and the role of play in the healthy
development of a child.
From the website of University of North Texas Center for Play Therapy ( http://cpt.unt.edu)
“Play therapy is to children what counseling is to adults. Play therapy utilizes play, children's natural medium of
expression, to help them express their feelings more easily through toys instead of words.
Association for Play Therapy (APT) defines play therapy as "the systematic use of a theoretical model to establish
an interpersonal process wherein trained play therapists use the therapeutic powers of play to help clients prevent
or resolve psychosocial difficulties and achieve optimal growth and development."
In the textbook Play Therapy: The Art of the Relationship (2nd ed.), Landreth (2002) defined child-centered play
therapy:
A dynamic interpersonal relationship between a child (or person of any age) and a therapist trained in play therapy
procedures who provides selected play materials and facilitates the development of a safe relationship for the child
(or person of any age) to fully express and explore self (feelings, thoughts, experiences, and behaviors) through
play, the child's natural medium of communication, for optimal growth and development. (p. 16)”
Play itself is neurobiological in origin, crucial to the healthy development of the brain and all aspects of learning and
functioning. Children have to play! (See attached article entitled Curiosity, Pleasure and Play by Dr. Bruce Perry).
Dr. Perry, a leading expert on how the brain develops from birth wrote that at the heart of play is pleasure and while
enjoying playing, children gain many developmental, social, and cognitive skills, and that this play related skill
building parallels with the neurodevelopment of the brain.
Because of its neurobiology and function, play is a child’s PRIMARY language. It is how they communicate. You
may think that your child is verbal and is very smart and I am sure that is true! But until around age 12, English is
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their SECONDARY language. A child’s use of words is learned through imitation and observation as they practice
their new vocabulary and putting sentences together. However, children’s brains are not developed to a point at
which they can use words to adequately say what they feel or how they have been affected by what they have been
through until 12 – 13 years old! (Landreth) This requires much more brain development in the area of cognition,
which has to do with problem solving, abstract thinking and the ability to identify, understand and express complex
emotional responses to experiences. But by just their 2nd birthday, children have the ability to form mental
representations of actions and objects as well as to have one thing stand for (symbolize) another. When children
engage in pretend play, it is this process that is occurring and it is the essential element in learning how to deal
effectively with objects, people and events in their environment (Goldhaber). This is the premise of how children
communicate in play therapy. In play, children can slowly assimilate traumatic experiences in a healthy way by
reliving them with an appropriate release of affect so that they are not overwhelmed and re-traumatized. In play, the
child is in control of events and there is less anxiety because it is just pretend. Because it is rewiring the deeper
parts of the brain that regulate emotion, attachment, impulsivity, physiological functions, and self-image, the results
will be lasting changes.
Child Centered Play Therapy provides the child with a very specialized play therapy environment and therapeutic
relationship that is different than any other place or person your child has experienced. The child completely leads
their play and the therapist’s understanding of the play behavior allows the therapist to enter more fully into the
child’s inner world. In being allowed to speak their natural language in an environment of freedom, acceptance,
genuine interest, belief in their abilities and understanding, the child reveals experiences, difficulties and memories;
their feelings or reactions about the experience; what the child needs; and the child’s self-image, all through their
play themes. In addition to communicating and being heard, which is a powerful thing in and of itself, they are
simultaneously working on their problems and symptoms and are achieving the following goals:
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Confronting their problems and symptoms
Resolving conflicts
Learning to problem solve using inner and outer resources
Gaining self-control and self-direction
Building self-esteem
Developing coping skills
Experiencing and tolerating painful emotions
Regulating their emotions and discovering ways to cope with and express feelings
Learning and enhancing language, social, and other skills
Restoring developmental tasks to appropriate age levels
Play therapy is held in a special playroom containing a wide range of carefully selected toys. The toys that are
selected have no prescribed function but rather help elicit creativity, symbolism, emotions, problem solving and real
life situations. In Child Centered Play Therapy, the child is told they get to play with the toys the way they choose.
They completely lead their own play and the therapist responds to and reflects what they are doing. These are called
facilitative responses. The responses communicate sensitivity, understanding, safety, acceptance, and belief in the
child’s capability, rather than coming from a place of evaluation, shock, distrust, and disapproval. A large part of
the therapist’s role is attuning to the child’s feeling states. In life, children are naturally attuned to their adults’
feeling states and adapt to those. This gives them a chance to be completely understood and accepted. These
responses and the relationship that develops allow children to discover and develop their inner resources and, in the
process experience the power of their potential.
In bringing your child for the first session, he or she can be told that they will be coming each week to play with Ms.
Mary Ellen in a special playroom where they can play with or talk about anything they choose. Also be aware that
your child will often say that all he or she does in therapy is play. This is true from the child’s perspective, but what
is occurring is therapeutic.
I have seen this work for many children for many years. But healing and overcoming is a gradual process that is to
be respected and given patience, time, and consistency on the part of parents and schools. I am here to educate you
along the way to help you understand and provide continuing support. The process builds upon itself weekly. The
child does not start over each week. Therefore, it is critical for the well-being of your child to not pull them out
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before they are ready. This can and often does actually cause harm to the child before they can resolve the conflicts
that are causing the symptoms. I will help you understand when a child is ready or why they are not. Please read
Frequently Asked Questions attached.
Play therapy does not preclude the opportunity for the child to verbalize their thoughts and feelings. Often a child
narrates their play or talks about their situation while playing and these verbal statements will be responded to by me
as well as the play itself.
I hope you find this information helpful and I look forward to working with your child and seeing him or her
become a healthier child!
Sincerely,
Mary Ellen Sherrill, MSW, LCSW, RPT-S
Resources
University of North Texas Center for Play Therapy
http://cpt.unt.edu
Dr. Garry Landreth
Child Trauma Academy
www.childtrauma.org
Dr. Bruce Perry
Association for Play Therapy
www.a4pt.org
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