Filial Play is a relatively quick and effective way of helping parents and carers enjoy happier and healthier relationships with their children. Parents learn four simple techniques through special play sessions with their own children. They receive practical and non-judgemental guidance and support until these new strategies are transferred right back into the family home and into family life.
Child-centred play is a particularly valuable tool to use with children who are often showing worrying or unwanted behaviours. Their difficult, painful and even unbearable experiences are often uncontainable and "spill out" into the here and now. It is sometimes very difficult for parents and carers to know how best to deal with this especially given the day-to-day strain on family life. This is very common for all parents and carers whether birth, blended, adoptive, foster or other kinds of families.
This type of play has two very important purposes. It allows the parent or carer to learn and practice specific therapeutic parenting skills AND it gives the child opportunity to express, process and resolve difficult things in the language and safety of play. 
Children begin to get better and recover whilst parents and carers begin to feel more able, more skilled and more robust in coping with the very real challenges they face. This is why big toes little toes is so passionate about working in this way with families.
Filial Therapy can help individual families. It can also help small groups of parents and carers, who enjoy meeting up and supporting each other in the safety of a confidential service. It is often a relief to share the challenges of parenthood with others in a similar position. It is very important to acknowledge that ALL parents and carers are subject to factors that can make family life challenging. This approach is positive, empathic, respectful, and supportive.
Please feel welcome to make contact for more information.