Child & Adolescent Therapy - Leila Falletisch

Therapy for Children

Helping children and teens navigate emotional challenges through play therapy and counseling.

Is your child struggling with anxiety, stress, or emotional overwhelm?
Have they experienced a major life change, such as divorce or loss?
Are they having difficulty expressing their feelings or coping with daily life?

My specialized child and adolescent therapy sessions provide a safe space to explore emotions,
develop coping skills, and build resilience.

Focus Areas

Play Therapy

Play therapy gives children a natural and safe way to express their feelings, process experiences, and make sense of the world around them. Through guided play, Leila helps children explore emotions, build resilience, and develop healthy coping skills.

School & Study Anxiety

Many children experience anxiety around school – whether it’s related to performance, social pressures, or fear of failure. Leila works with young clients to identify the root of their anxiety, develop calming strategies, and build confidence in their ability to cope with academic and emotional demands.

Counselling for Children

Children often struggle to understand or express big emotions. Through child-centred counselling, Leila creates a safe, supportive space where children can explore their feelings, build emotional awareness, and develop healthy ways to cope with life’s challenges.

Divorce

Divorce can be a confusing and emotional time for children. Leila supports children in processing the changes in their family structure, helping them express their feelings, reduce anxiety, and adjust in a healthy, age-appropriate way through therapy and play-based techniques.

Trauma

When children experience trauma – whether from loss, accidents, violence, or sudden change – it can deeply affect their emotional world. Leila provides a safe and nurturing environment where children can begin to process these experiences, rebuild a sense of safety, and develop tools for healing and resilience.

Anxiety & Depression

Children and teens can experience anxiety and depression in ways that are often hard to recognize – through changes in mood, behaviour, or sleep. Leila offers gentle, age-appropriate therapy to help young people understand their feelings, reduce emotional overwhelm, and learn healthy coping strategies to manage anxiety and low mood.

Need support navigating a child’s emotional world?

Click here for guidance tailored to parents and teachers

What is Play Therapy?

Play therapy is to children what counselling is to adults. It is a process whereby children have an opportunity to address and work through complex and confusing feelings and tricky life situations. Play therapy is facilitated by a qualified therapist who uses play, toys, and games to help the child explore, express, and safely experience the difficulties they are working through currently. The child is given the space to work through their issues with the therapist at their own pace and in their own unique ways – without feeling pressured, intimidated, questioned, or threatened. Play Therapy takes place in an emotionally safe environment. In some instances the therapist interprets the child’s experience to the parent and vice versa. The goal of play therapy is to heal hurt, prevent further discomfort; restore difficult relationships and find new ways of managing life’s challenges.

What is the role of Parents in the therapeutic process?

Without doubt the parents are partners in the process. The more engaged and invested the parent is the more effective the process is. In some instances, particularly with younger children the therapist will work with the child and parent together. The dynamic changes with older children and adolescents.

Parents are the KEY to effective, successful therapy. They implement strategies discussed, they reinforce work being done and they give feedback to the therapist.

BOTH parents need to consent to the child going to therapy. Ethically children cannot be brought to therapy by a third party WITHOUT the consent of both parents UNLESS the child is in danger of abuse or neglect, in which case the child’s situation becomes a statutory matter not a therapeutic matter.

How do I know my child needs therapy?

A question often asked by parents. If a parent guardian or teacher notices a significant change in behavior or a seemingly happy, relaxed child becomes clingy, insecure, anxious, withdrawn or angry OR The child or family experiences a traumatic event. I have listed a few examples below;

Reasons that cause children to need therapy

Death of a significant other
Divorce
Unemployment and financial stress
Conflict in the home
Move to a new home or school or geographical area
Violent crime
Chronic illness or disability in the immediate family
Environmental factors such as COVID 19, Drought, Natural disasters; increase in neighborhood crime
Children who have special needs or who are disabled
Children who are chronically anxious, depressed or insecure
Children who struggle with social interaction

How Does Play Therapy Work?

Play therapy unfolds in a gentle, structured process that allows children to express themselves, build trust, and work through emotional challenges at their own pace. The journey typically follows three key phases that support healing and growth.

3 Phase Process

Phase 1

Information gathering including a session with the child’s primary caregiver to establish whether or not play therapy is recommended and to establish therapeutic goals. This phase is called meet and greet with caregivers

Phase 2

Meet and Greet of parents is followed by a Session with the child for me to get to know the child and get an idea of the issues to be addressed from the Child’s perspective

Phase 3

6-8 WEEKLY sessions of 45 mins each with either the child on their own or with the parent and child together. ONGOING THERAPY or termination depending on the outcome of phase 2. Many children return for ‘’TOP UPS’’ from time to time. Usually a few sessions is sufficient.

FAQ

What does Play Therapy Cost?

Fees differ between therapists, however it can be expected that Play Therapy fees are similar to fees charged for adult counselling. Therapists who are registered with the Board of Health care Providers will be able to generate a bill that can be submitted to Medical Aid. Medical aids differ and the availability of cover should be checked. Generally the following formula is applied;

An initial fee covering the initial session with the child and the session with the caregivers, payable on the day.

A per session fee for the initial 6-8 sessions, payable either immediately, monthly or submitted by the therapist to the medical aid.

Should the family not be covered by medical aid a private rate and payment options can be discussed with the therapist.

What is play therapy, and how is it different from regular counselling?

Play therapy uses toys, art, and creative expression to help children communicate emotions they may not be able to verbalize. It’s especially effective for younger children who process feelings through play rather than words.

How do I know if my child needs therapy?

If your child is showing signs of anxiety, emotional outbursts, withdrawal, changes in sleep or appetite, or difficulty coping with change, therapy can help provide support and tools for managing their emotions.

Can parents be involved in the therapy process?

Yes. Parent involvement is an important part of the process. Leila provides regular feedback, guidance, and strategies to support your child at home.

How long does therapy take to show results?

Every child and adult is different. Some may show improvement after a few sessions, while others benefit from longer-term support. Leila will work collaboratively with you to review progress and adjust as needed.

Is counselling only for children?

Not at all. Leila works with children, teens, and adults - offering support through life transitions, trauma recovery, stress, anxiety, grief, and more.

Is what we talk about confidential?

Yes, all sessions are confidential, within the boundaries of ethical and legal guidelines. For children, confidentiality is respected, but Leila works closely with parents when safety or wellbeing is at stake.

Playroom

This carefully designed space is where children feel safe, seen, and free to express themselves. Every element in the playroom—from the toys to the art materials—is chosen to support emotional growth, creativity, and therapeutic connection.