Toddlers and preschoolers can’t always tell you what’s wrong, but they will show you through play. Our counselors use child-centered play therapy to help children ages 2 to 5 in Charlotte and Pineville work through big emotions, behavior struggles, and life changes. Morning and early-afternoon appointments are available, so sessions fit around naps and preschool.
Signs a toddler or preschooler may benefit from play therapy:
If you’re not sure whether what you’re seeing is “normal for the age,” a free consultation is a good place to start. We’ll help you decide whether play therapy, a developmental evaluation, or simply some parent coaching is the right next step.
Play therapy is counseling built for the way young children actually communicate. A trained therapist uses carefully chosen toys, art materials, sand, puppets, and pretend play to give a child a safe way to express feelings they don’t yet have words for. Over time, children learn to recognize their emotions, calm their bodies, solve problems, and feel more confident and secure.
At Child & Family Development, play therapy for preschoolers in Charlotte is provided by licensed psychologists and counselors trained in Child-Centered Play Therapy (CCPT) and Child-Parent Relationship Therapy (CPRT), two research-supported approaches designed specifically for children under six.
We start with a parent intake, either by phone or telehealth, so we understand your child’s history, what’s happening at home and at daycare or preschool, and what you hope will change.
Sessions are typically about an hour, adjusted for your child’s age and attention span, in a dedicated playroom at our Midtown Charlotte or Pineville office. Your child chooses how to play; the therapist follows, reflects, and gently guides. To a child it feels like play. To the therapist, it’s assessment and treatment.
For children this young, parent coaching and support is a required part of play therapy, not an optional add-on, because progress depends on what happens between sessions. You’ll get regular parent check-ins, practical strategies for tantrums, transitions, and drop-offs, and, when it fits, Child-Parent Relationship Therapy (CPRT) sessions where we coach you to use play-therapy skills at home.
Many families see meaningful change in 12 to 20 sessions, though every child is different. We’ll set goals with you at the start and review them together. See what to expect, step by step, and learn more about parent coaching.
Two- to five-year-olds do their best thinking before nap time. That’s why we hold morning and early-afternoon appointment slots specifically for our youngest clients. A well-rested child engages more fully in play, and you avoid the late-afternoon meltdown window. If your child attends preschool or daycare, we can often schedule before drop-off or during a mid-day break.
Because Child & Family Development is a multidisciplinary practice, your child’s play therapist works alongside occupational therapists, speech-language pathologists, and psychologists who evaluate developmental delays, autism, and ADHD. If a behavior concern turns out to have a sensory, language, or developmental root, we can address it here rather than referring you elsewhere.
No. Play therapy is designed for children as young as 2. Because it uses play rather than talking, it works with a young child’s natural way of communicating instead of requiring language skills they don’t have yet.
It depends on your child’s age and comfort. Many 2- and 3-year-olds start with a parent present, and we gradually shift to child-only sessions as trust builds. Some approaches, like Child-Parent Relationship Therapy, involve you directly. Your therapist will recommend what fits your child.
The toys and materials are intentionally chosen, and the therapist is trained to read and respond to what a child’s play is expressing. Themes, repetition, and how a child handles frustration or limits all tell us something. The therapist uses that information to help your child build emotional skills, session by session.
Yes. Behavior concerns at daycare or preschool, such as hitting, biting, or repeated disruptions, are one of the most common reasons families come to us. We can work with your child, coach you on strategies, and with your permission coordinate with the school or daycare so everyone is using the same approach.
Yes. Play therapy is billed as behavioral health counseling and is covered in-network by Aetna, the NC State Health Plan, Blue Cross Blue Shield of NC, Cigna (Evernorth), and MedCost. We file out-of-network for most other plans. Our Client Accounts team can check your specific benefits before your first visit.
Yes. We hold morning and early-afternoon appointments specifically for children ages 2 to 5, since young children engage best before nap time. Ask about availability at either our Midtown Charlotte or Pineville office.
Play therapy for very young children works best in person. However, the parent side of the work, including intake, parent coaching, and CPRT training, can be done by telehealth for families anywhere in North Carolina, and with select clinicians for South Carolina residents.
Many children we see for play therapy also work with our speech-language pathologists or occupational therapists. Because all of these services are under one roof, your child’s providers can coordinate, and appointments can often be scheduled back-to-back.
These counselors and psychologists work with children ages 2 to 5 at our Midtown Charlotte and Pineville offices. All hold master’s or doctoral degrees and are licensed in North Carolina.
PhD
Midtown
PsyD
Midtown
RPT, LCMHC-QS
Midtown
LCMHCA
Midtown
LCMHCA
Midtown
PhD
Pineville
PsyD
Pineville
LCMHC
Pineville
LCMHCA
Pineville
LCMHCA
Pineville
Play therapy at Child & Family Development is billed as behavioral health counseling. We accept Aetna, Aetna State Health Plan, Blue Cross Blue Shield of NC, Cigna (through Evernorth Behavioral Health), and MedCost for play therapy and counseling in Charlotte, and we can file with most out-of-network plans. See all insurance details.
Your first step: Schedule a free consultation to talk with an expert. Not sure whether play therapy is the right fit? A short call with our intake team can help. We'll listen to what you're seeing, answer your questions, and match you with a counselor who works with your child's age. Morning appointments in Midtown Charlotte and Pineville are available now.
