Distinctive Play

At Distinctive, Miss Julie Thigpen oversees our dynamic team of play therapists. Miss Julie has over 20 years of experience providing play therapy in the Coastal Bend community. Her expertise as a Registered Play Therapist-Supervisor has helped launch the training of Distinctive Play Therapists in the Coastal Bend and throughout Texas while simultaneously expanding play therapy treatment for children in our community.

What is Play Therapy?

“Play Therapy is based upon the fact that play is the child’s natural medium of self expression ... It is an opportunity which is given to the child to ‘play out’ his feelings and problems just as in certain types of adult therapy an individual ‘talks out’ his difficulties.” Virginia Axline

Play Therapy, a modality of child therapy, is a powerful tool for addressing cognitive, behavioral, and emotional challenges. Licensed professionals use play therapeutically to help clients better process their experiences and develop more effective strategies for managing their worlds.

Play therapy is to children what talk-therapy is to adults. In Play Therapy a child is able to use play, their natural and developmentally appropriate medium of expression, to help express feelings, manage experiences, and develop more effective strategies for managing beliefs and behaviors.
Attachment-based therapeutic activities with a parent/caregiver, focus on strengthening their relationship, working to develop a healthy attachment and manage the child’s behavior with play, laughter and connection
How do I get through the bedtime routine without yelling? How do I manage a tantrum? How can I get my kids to talk to me? How can I understand them better? How can I get closer with my child? Parenting isn’t easy, and no one is given a manual of what to do in any given situation. You don’t have to figure it out all on your own. Weekly coaching sessions can help you prepare and practice for encountering potential parenting stressors. With parent coaching, you can learn to set healthy limits, develop communication skills, listen so your kids will talk to you, and more.