Helping Children Heal and Communicate Through Play

Children express emotions through play long before they find the words. With guidance from a Certified Play Therapist, sessions create a safe, supportive space where kids can explore feelings, build confidence, and grow emotionally—in person or online.

What is Play Therapy?

Play Therapy is a specialized approach that helps children express emotions, process difficult experiences, and build coping skills— all through play. Using art, toys, sandtray, and imagination, the therapist observes emotional themes that help children heal and communicate what words can’t. 

Play becomes their language. 
Toys become their words. 

It’s a gentle yet powerful path to emotional growth, self-awareness, and connection.

Emotional Growth

Helps children express emotions and build healthy self-awareness.

Better Communication

Encourages emotional language and confidence in expression.

Calm & Regulation

Supports focus, patience, and everyday emotional 
balance.

Healing & Resilience

Guides children to process emotions and grow with strength.

Who It’s For

Play Therapy supports children experiencing:

✔ Anxiety, fears, or big worries
✔ Emotional outbursts or frustration

✔ Confidence or self-esteem struggles

✔ Changes at home or school

✔ Grief, loss, or family separation

✔ Trouble expressing feelings

✔ Effects of trauma or stressful events

Inside a Session

Each session blends gentle structure with child-led discovery. In a calm and playful environment, your child is encouraged to explore emotions, make choices, and express thoughts naturally through play.

Using toys, art, sand, and storytelling, children learn emotional awareness, problem-solving, and coping skills in ways that feel safe and engaging. Parents receive ongoing feedback and simple tools to continue supporting emotional growth and connection at home.

For parents who want to get involved, theraplay is another type of play therapy to consider. Sessions are designed to build up the parent-child bond through 4 key areas of development: structure, challenge, engagement, and nurture.

Meet Your Therapist

Hailey Reiss, Registered Social Worker, Certified Play Therapist, & Certified EMDR Therapist.
Hailey combines empathy and expertise to help children feel safe, seen, and supported. Her approach blends play therapy, animal assisted therapy, CBT, DBT, EMDR, mindfulness, and music therapy to meet each child’s unique emotional and developmental needs.

At Supportive Steps in Aurora, she has created a warm and inclusive space where every client feels safe, heard, and supported. The clinic is easily accessible by transit and offers both indoor and outdoor parking—every detail reflecting genuine care and compassion.

Why Parents Choose Supportive Steps

Choosing the right therapist for your child is an important decision. 
At Supportive Steps, we focus on creating a warm, evidence-based environment 
where families feel supported every step of the way.

Certified Expertise

Every session is led by a Certified Play Therapist.

Family Involvement

Parents receive updates, tools, and clear guidance.

Flexible Care

In-person in Aurora or online sessions across Ontario.

Safe & Nurturing Space

A calm, welcoming setting where every child feels secure.

FAQ

Your Questions, Answered with Care.

Sometimes, the first step toward support can feel uncertain — and that’s okay. At Supportive Steps, we’re here to make the process simple, caring, and personalized for your family. If you still have questions, we’d love to hear from you.

Testimonials

Hailey’s calm presence helped my son feel safe. He now has words and tools to handle big emotions.

— Parent, Newmarket

Our daughter began sharing feelings we’d never heard before. Play Therapy opened a new door for our family.

— Parent, Aurora

We finally understand what our child was trying to tell us. The change has been remarkable.

— Parent, Richmond Hill

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