rachel gordon (they/them)

My Approach to Helping

In play therapy I provide an environment and relationship in which children begin to trust themselves, practice self regulation and self control, build self esteem, and establish positive peer and adult relationships. My goal as your child's therapist is to understand your child for who they are as a person and what is important to you as a parent. With extensive supervision and training in the Child-Centered Play Therapy (CCPT) approach, I create a space that is child-led giving each child an opportunity to process and express themselves in ways that feel most meaningful for them, through the language of play. Through play children are able to problem solve, build self-concept and esteem, understand their strengths and limits and move towards their inherent desire towards growth and healing.

Why I Became a Therapist

I became a child therapist because of my own lived experience as a child. Childhood comes with many challenges both for the child and their caregivers and as a therapist, I work to provide a safe, trusting and permissive space for children to process their experiences and develop appropriate coping strategies and meaningful movement towards healing. Children are infinitely navigating an adult-centric world in which they often receive confusing messaging about what is right and wrong, what is good and bad. I believe creating a space for children to navigate their world and the adult world provides them with opportunities to better understand themselves, solve problems, build strong relationships and a positive self concept.