Play Therapy & Sand Play Therapy for Children
Play Therapy & Sand Play Therapy for Children in Ocean & Monmouth County, NJ
Young children don’t have the words to explain anxiety, anger, or grief the way adults do — but they do have play. At Preferred Behavioral Health Group, play therapy and sand play therapy give children an age-appropriate way to show what they’re feeling and work through it with a licensed therapist. It’s one of the most effective approaches for young children, and one of the hardest for families to find. We offer it at our Brick, NJ office, serving families across Ocean and Monmouth Counties, for children as young as four.
Play is serious work — it’s how a young child tells their story before they have the words to say it.
Why Play Is How Young Children Heal
In play therapy, a licensed clinician follows the child’s lead and uses what unfolds in the playroom to help them build coping skills, feel understood, and change the patterns causing distress.
What Play Therapy Looks Like at PBHG
Child-Centered Play Therapy
The playroom is stocked with toys chosen for emotional expression, and your child leads. The therapist provides a safe, accepting relationship and gently reflects back what they see, helping the child build self-control, problem-solving, and confidence over time.
Sand Play (Sand Tray) Therapy
Your child builds small worlds in a tray of sand using miniature figures. What they create — and how — gives the therapist a window into feelings the child can’t yet put into words, and gives the child a safe distance from which to face them. Sand tray work is especially powerful for grief, trauma, and anxiety in children who aren’t ready to talk directly.
What a Session Actually Looks Like
Sessions run 45 minutes to an hour and are tailored to your child. Play and talk aren’t either/or — an older child might move between play therapy and regular talk therapy within the same session, depending on what they need that day. Early on, the therapist focuses on building trust and helping your child feel safe; from there, the work happens through play.
Trauma-Informed and Evidence-Based
Play is the medium, but the care is clinical. Our therapists are trauma-informed, and for children who’ve experienced trauma, play-based work is paired with evidence-based treatment such as Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT). Our Brick office is sensory-friendly, with a dedicated child play space.
How We Partner With Parents
Play therapy is most powerful when parents are part of it. We coach you on what the play is telling us, what to do (and not do) at home, and how to reinforce progress between sessions. For younger children especially, you are part of the treatment — not just the waiting room.
Part of a Full Continuum of Care
Play therapy is often where a young child’s care begins. If your child’s therapist sees that more support would help — a psychiatric evaluation, or a different level of care — they can refer directly within PBHG, without sending you elsewhere. This page is part of our broader children’s therapy program, alongside grief counseling for children and families.
Getting Started
Scheduling, Insurance & Access
- Sessions run 45 minutes to an hour. Play and sand therapy for young children are provided in person at our Brick, NJ office. We accept all major insurance carriers — contact us and we’ll help verify your child’s coverage.
Your Next Step
If your young child is struggling and you’ve had trouble finding someone who works with little ones, we’re here. We serve families throughout Ocean and Monmouth Counties from our Brick office. No referral is needed — you can contact us directly.
Call 732-367-4700 to schedule your child’s first appointment.
We're Here To Help
Preferred Behavioral Health Group provides multiple youth and adult services to address emotional, mental, and behavioral health issues. However, some situations require different services. If your child is experiencing life-threatening danger or the immediate risk of harming themselves, you must take them to the nearest emergency room or dial 911 for immediate assistance.