Play Therapy in Wicklow, Ireland

Wayfinding with Wen offers a safe and supportive environment for children struggling with their emotional difficulties often manifesting as behavioural challenges through play therapy

By engaging children through play, the child therapist can help them express themselves, process their emotions, build resilience, and realise their full potential.
Rainbow Wood Portrait
Play therapy is what psychotherapy is for adults. This therapeutic intervention harnesses children's innate need to play, allowing them to express their thoughts and feelings through symbolism and metaphors. Depression, anxiety, aggression and stress related life events such as abuse, bereavement, loss, family breakdown, domestic violence and trauma can be addressed through therapy.
Messy Play
Play therapists use creative approaches, interventions, media, and activities that are appropriate to the age and developmental stage of the client. Such play permits the child to communicate with adults nonverbally, symbolically, and in an action-oriented manner.

"Birds fly, fish swim, and children play."

Gary Landreth

Play Therapy

Hi! I'm Wen

Welcome to Wayfinding with Wen. Play therapy is based on the humanistic premise that a person is more likely to attain their full potential when they are in an environment that provides them with openness, acceptance, and empathy.

A one-size fits all approach does not truly meet a child where they are since we all have our own unique experiences in our lives. An integrative and creative approach to my therapeutic intervention requires me to access different models and methods to explore the client’s experiential world.

Wen Profile 2
Having a background in neuroscience has enabled me to grasp the neurobiology of relationships, brain maturation, and the healing process, in which we can integrate new insights and behaviours.

The role of parents/carers is crucial to the success of the therapeutic intervention since their presence and influence outweigh the therapist. My role is to create and sustain a collaborative and genuine relationship with them so as to achieve their (parent/carer and child's) therapeutic goals.

Behaviour is the communication of a need or want in response to the environment. Challenging behaviour is a way for a child to tell adults that they are overwhelmed and that their needs are not met that they otherwise cannot communicate verbally.

My approach to play therapy

About Me

Who Am I

I was born in London, grew up in Singapore, and have lived in Ireland since 2006, when I married my Irish husband. Having spent my entire life on islands, living beside the sea is where I am most comfortable. I am a parent of two children, a neuroscientist, a play therapist, and a creative psychotherapist.

My journey to being a play therapist was spurred by the birth of my first child, Alex, who has Down syndrome. As a parent of a child with additional needs, I needed to evolve and become more attuned, compassionate, empathetic and resilient. Societal pressures made me focus on where Alex should be developmentally, rather than meeting him where he is. This, naturally, created some rifts in our relationship and forced me to reconsider how I wanted to parent.

As a neuroscientist, my research allowed me to focus on the brain and its impact on behaviour and cognitive functions. Extending this to play therapy led to several insights into how we can better support children and their family systems. In order to feel safe, we must be able to manage our own nervous systems and extend this to support the nervous systems of our children. When we feel safe (seen, heard and understood), we create better relationships, and resiliency and encourage cognitive development.

wen neuroscientist
Dr Boon Wan Wang-Whelan PhD, Msc, PGDip
My approach to life is shaped by several strands of wisdom. The first step is to find pockets of joy when times are tough. Secondly, when in doubt, slow down. Lastly, celebrate success no matter how small. These perspectives allow me to be the mindful, consistent and brave therapist that I am today. It takes courage to work in the field of healing hearts, minds and souls.

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