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EMBLEY HOUSE TESTIMONIALS

As you will appreciate, a few clients prefer to maintain full privacy whilst a great many more express their joy to me verbally. Here is some of the written feedback that I have received (with identifying details removed).



"Your efforts and dedication to helping my daughter has made 2014 a bearable year. [My daughter] has progressed extremely well since contact with Donna and she is now confident enough to take a leadership role in her senior year of school in 2015 and her developing resilience has been inspirational to see! Much gratitude from our family to you Donna."



"Since starting play therapy we have already noticed a marked improvement in our 11 year old son's self confidence. Initially we were concerned that our son would not be willing to participate in the program, however, thanks to the welcome he received from Donna & Jeff, he looks forward to his weekly sessions (so much so that he has asked if he can attend more often!). It is a joy to hear the sound of our son's laughter from the play room each week. I have no hesitation in recommending play therapy to anyone."



"My 12 year old son has been attending play therapy sessions with Jeff for just over a year. The trauma he had experienced in the early years of his life was manifesting as severe anxiety, shame, low self esteem and aggression. He was unable to regulate his emotions. He found it virtually impossible to interact appropriately with his younger sister and often directed his aggression towards her.

Since his therapy, my son has begun to identify and express his emotions and he has started to accept responsibility for how he feels and behaves. He is beginning to use a number of strategies, including positive self talk, to regulate his emotions. He is starting to identify and appreciate positive characteristics in himself and others, including his sister. He and his sister's relationship has strengthened considerably and it is lovely to see them enjoying each other's company.

My son looks forward to seeing Jeff each week. Jeff provides him with the security he requires to be vulnerable and open to new experiences and strategies so that positive change can take place. It is particularly useful that my son is able to benefit from a positive male role model in his life and is comforting to know that Jeff has his best interests at heart.

I would not hesitate to recommend Jeff or Donna to anyone looking for a play therapist for their child. Thank you so much for your support over the last year."



"Hi Donna, I would just like to thank you, Our son has really come on since seeing you, he always looks forward to his "play days" and since starting play therapy a few months ago, his behaviour has improved and he is a much happier little boy. The resources you have sent home for us to read and watch have also helped myself and my husband to understand the way children think and have given us ideas and strategies to better our parenting. You are a wonderfully warm and caring person who obviously loves working with children and I would recommend your services to anyone looking for help with their children."



"Since we started play therapy with Jeff & implemented the 1-2-3 Magic Programme at home, we've seen a marked improvement in our son's behaviour/outlook. Our son's behaviour had been challenging & we were at a loss on how to turn things around. Thanks to the support from Jeff at Embley House our home life is a lot happier. We no longer have tantrums at homework time & no longer have to repeat instructions over & over again. Where our son was once very anxious, he now participates more at school, attends family outings without anxiety or complaint, has formed close friendships with school friends & is generally a much more confident young man. We too are more confident parents & have learned to listen & empathies with our son's feelings. We have no hesitation in recommending Jeff & Embley House to anyone."



"Your help with our son the past few months have made a huge impact. He now (finally!!!) understands that he doesn't need to hate himself for what he is thinking/feeling and that we are all trying to help him deal with his stresses.

The meditation strategies are starting to work (it has taken a while for him to give them a realistic attempt) and I can see the difference it is making. When he has had an episode he is able to calm down a lot quicker and discuss the events and the associated feelings and issues.

So thank you very much."



"I attended the Filial Therapy workshop with Donna at Embley House in October / November 2011 and absolutely loved it.... I learnt SO much - and the difference it has made in my relationship with my daughter is something I am truly grateful for and it will continue to shape the years to come. I highly recommend this course to every parent....... it's one of the best things you could possibly do for your family."



"Our 9 year old son has been doing play therapy with Jeff at Embley House for about a year now and we have seen a marked improvement in his ability to deal with his anger and frustration. He has overcome some of his fears and has matured considerably under Jeff.s guidance. He looks forward to his "play" session every week and we are very happy with his progress."



"Our daughter is doing well . Her confidence is growing which is great to see. Our son is fine, his school work is excellent and his attitude towards everything and everyone has improved so much.

I can only credit you for that Donna. You have helped us all so much. Thank you for giving us all the tools to cope better with our big issues and even just the little things too.

I am truly grateful to you for the services you provide. It is so wonderful to have finally found something that works to help children through tough times in their lives. I always recommend you to anyone I meet who needs a helping hand for their kids".



"I have been taking my son to see Donna for 7 months now. He loves his weekly Play Therapy sessions with Donna and anxiously awaits for next week to come around so he can see her again. Thank you Donna for all your help and continued guidance in helping my son."



"My son has recently begun Play Therapy at Embley House. Due to the experiences he has had in his life, he suffers considerable anxiety and has difficulty regulating his emotions. This resulted in difficulties at home and at school where he was getting into trouble all the time. Since beginning the therapy he has had no school suspensions and his detentions, which seemed to be a daily occurrence, have reduced to one or two per fortnight. I feel reassured that he feels happy to attend his therapy each week (in fact he looks forward to it) and I am impressed with the level of commitment and professionalism that I see. I cannot recommend Embley House highly enough."



"When I first contacted Embley House, it was a pretty low point for me and my relationship with my 4 year old daughter. Her father and I had been separated for over 2 years by now.

My daughter was very angry at me, distant and cold. After enduring many, many months using positive parenting, discipline & rewards, the older my daughter got, the worse her behaviour and attitude toward me got. The final straw came when after another episode of upset my daughter told me that she had wished she had never came out of my tummy and had come from another mummy's tummy. To have my little girl who is my "Angel Face" say such a thing, in the right context, at the right time and almost revelling in the hurt that was on my face, devastated me. I knew then that the situation was beyond my control and I was extremely concerned for her emotional & psychological wellbeing.

So I did some research on child psychology. When I initially delved into child psychology two years prior, due to my daughter having been only 2 years old at the time, I was warned against it. However I was unaware of 'Child Centred Play Therapy' for younger children. Now over two years on and desperately needing some professional guidance & help for my daughter, my research brought me to the Embley House Website.

The information that was provided on the website I found extremely informative and I immediately felt drawn to this and contacted Donna. After a telephone discussion and a meeting, I decided Embley House was the place my daughter needed to be. Donna explained to me why Play Therapy works so well with younger children, and that 'play' is a natural thing for children to do. Despite still being a little sceptical that it would work I decided that I had nothing to lose at this point and anything to help my relationship with my daughter would be a start. I am so pleased that I gave my daughter this opportunity to explore 'Child Centred Play Therapy'.

After only a few sessions I saw a significant change in my daughter's attitude and behaviour toward me. The anger and coldness started to diminish and I felt that our home was no longer a battleground.

My daughter is still having regular play therapy and is improving with every session. I also participated in the Filial Therapy course that Embley House offers to parents and found that extremely informative and has helped secure my 'mother bond' with my daughter. I finally feel that I have my beautiful little girl back. To hear her laugh, giggle and squeal with happiness and delight in my home is something I was beginning to think I would never hear.

My daughter now shows me affection, love and consideration. She openly hugs me and tells me she loves me, something I never had with her before, despite every effort I had made with her in the past. For my daughter, it was play therapy that has helped her and I am now a strong believer in it. I have a new found faith with my relationship with my daughter and the best thing; I have a much happier and settled daughter.

Thank you Embley House, from the bottom of my heart."



 
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