Testimonials - Penn Wall Play Therapy

“Our 5-year-old son began play therapy with Penn to help him both emotionally and socially. He always looked forward to his sessions and often, there was a noticeable change in his mood afterwards. Initially, our son was on a vastly reduced timetable at school. Over the months that he has been attending play therapy, we have been able to gradually increase his time at school and have witnessed an enormous improvement in his ability to self-regulate and, most importantly, in his overall happiness. He has become more resilient in the face of unexpected changes and has started to develop a number of friendships, too.
Throughout his time at play therapy, Penn was a delight to work with and always kept us informed of how things were going. She made a great deal of effort to get to know both our son, but also us as a family, as well as liaising with his school. This comprehensive approach has worked wonders and it has been a delight to see him transform from a little boy who was really struggling in most situations, to a child who has grown in confidence over just a few months. Thank you!”

“My son is 6 years old, and he had anger issues and separation anxiety. We did a full course with Penn and it made a huge difference to my son’s behaviour and confidence.
Penn is a really warm, welcoming person and is always on hand for any advice.
My son really enjoyed the Play Therapy sessions and looked forward to going to them once a week.”

“I contacted Penn shortly after my daughter lost her father. She was experiencing difficulty in managing her mood and processing emotions. She had also developed ticks which were progressively becoming worse.
Penn was excellent from day 1. We booked in 12 sessions after a lengthy discussion about our situation.
After my daughter’s first session, I instantly felt relief and content that she was extremely warm and welcoming and made my daughter feel comfortable.
My daughter showed great improvement in the first 12 sessions but we felt she could do with another course, so I booked a further 12.
That was the best decision as after the further 12 sessions, my daughter’s ticks have completely stopped, she can now talk more openly and positively about the situation and manages her emotions extremely well. I am so proud of how far she has come but we really couldn’t have done it without Penn.
She has helped my daughter in so many ways and the change I can see in her is truly amazing.
I would highly recommend Penn Wall Play Therapy. My daughter misses Penn and her sessions and it will definitely be something I would readdress in the future should she need it.”

“I am amazed by the benefits of Play Therapy. My daughter was struggling with body image issues as well as anxiety and it terrified me to think children as young as 8 years old could worry about these things. Penn was able to provide her a safe place to talk about her worries and coping mechanisms she still uses. She looked forward to her appointments and came out of each session so happy. The experience took the worry of ‘going to therapy’ away and she freely talked about it without embarrassment. I would recommend it to anyone.”

“After my 10 year old came to me for help and after a little research – We found Penn! Such a kind and caring lady, it was no surprise that my child (and ourselves) became so fond of her very quickly. From beginning to end, my child felt supported and safe to express their feelings/emotions and my child would always look forward to their sessions.

All communication from Penn was always clear and thorough – nothing went unanswered! Penn consistently emitted such an approachable and warm energy and We can not thank Penn enough for being there for our child when they just needed a safe space to talk and express. Being shown the “Treasure Box” when ‘Special Time’ had to come to end, was so great to see – Lots of lovely mementos of their ‘Special Time’! My child was very proud of their box and it means so much to them.

I would recommend Penn and Play Therapy to anyone. Penn will always be our go to should our child need some more support. A little special mention for Walter too! My child very much enjoyed Walter’s company and what a sweet boy he is!

Thank you so much Penn for supporting our child and us as a family too x.”

“My daughter’s school recommended Penn after my daughter was having difficulty with her impulse control and processing her emotions both at home and at school. My daughter had 14 sessions in total and from day 1 she felt at ease with Penn and the environment that special time was held in.

Penn was so approachable as a parent too. My daughter changed immensely with the help of Penn, huge differences were noted both at home and at school and from a parent’s point of view it has been very interesting to see how little changes that we as adults can do at home and at school, have helped my daughter be able to take control of how she is feeling and able to express her emotions more effectively.

My daughter looked forward to her special time with Penn (and with Walter) and always came out relaxed and happy. I would have no hesitation in booking more sessions with Penn if needed in the future and would highly recommend her to anyone.“

My daughter (5) thoroughly enjoyed her sessions and was disappointed when the special time came to an end. The therapy and feedback made me aware of how little things you do as a parent can make all the difference to your child.

From beginning to end, Penn has been a constant source of support on our journey with play therapy. I contacted her initially for help with my daughters anxiety and along the way found her understanding and support invaluable.
I couldn’t recommend play therapy, and Penn, enough. I feel very confident in the help she has provided for my daughter and in the help and guidance she has given me as a parent.

“My daughter really enjoyed her time at play therapy.
We had a bereavement in our family and I wanted my daughter to be able to go somewhere to process her emotions through play. She always came out with a big smile on her face and look forward to her sessions.
Penn was so kind to us both and offered us so much advice whenever we needed it
I would have no hesitation in recommending Penn.“

“My 7 year old son started special time because of behavioural issues we were experiencing at home. Since he was a toddler he always expressed his anxieties, frustrations and low self esteem with behaving violently towards other family members. As a result, family life/time was not enjoyable and I became increasingly worried as he was not enjoying his childhood.

He really looked forward to and enjoyed his sessions with Penn, always coming out with a smile on his face. It took a while to see changes in his behaviour in the beginning, and we did have some ups and downs but I can honestly say that towards the end of his sessions, we noticed a massive difference in him. He has grown in confidence and is now recognising when he is starting to become frustrated, therefore he is now managing his emotions and responses to triggers. He is a lot easier to talk to and we can all now enjoy each other’s company. We finally understand each other!

I am so proud of how far he has come and so thankful to Penn for, not only the time she spent helping my son, but also for her valuable advice and for her sharing her own experiences with me.

I can also report that we have just had the first ever school holiday break that we have actually enjoyed as a family!”.

“My daughter really enjoyed her time at play therapy. She was struggling with symptoms of anxiety. She now seems a much more confident and happier girl.

I have recommended Penn to a friend already. Penn has been very kind in offering her time and advice whenever we need it.”

“Thanks to Penn my 14 year old daughter is coping well with her anxiety. She wanted help after the Covid period and finding Penn is the best thing that happened to us. We found our situation was well over our parental capability. My daughter found her time with Penn so useful and the guidance and help Penn provided helped her immensely.”

Penn Wall is a qualified Play Therapist who has worked with both individual children and groups of children at the school. Her organisation and thorough preparation enabled her to create a highly effective playroom in the school. She quickly builds a positive relationship with any children that she is working with and as a result children look forward eagerly to “special time”.

Penn has a very good understanding of the benefits of Play Therapy and recognises the importance of early intervention for children. Clear identification measures both pre and post-intervention allow schools to evidence the progress made. Through running this intervention for identified children, positive gains were seen and both parents and pupils spoke favourably of the sessions. I can recommend Play Therapy and know that early intervention for children with SEMH can be effective.

Head Teacher, Bishop Monkton Primary School

I have known Penn now for some 10 years both professionally as a headteacher and as a friend. I must say in all honesty that I have never known a more positive and friendly person.

Professionally I have had to call on her at very short notice she has always been more than willing and capable to do whatever it takes to get the job done! In fact I would say that Penn always goes the extra mile to do the job well. She is enthusiastic, always smiling and has bags of energy. I have found her to be most trustworthy and scrupulously honest. If she says she she’ll do it she does it!

If you’re looking for somebody you can trust to do a first rate job with a smile on their face then you need look no further than Penn Wall.

Retired Headteacher

My daughter’s confidence has grown so much. She now answers questions in class even if she thinks she’s going to say the wrong thing she still has a bash. Thank you.

My daughter started special time because she was low on confidence & was quite shy within a group.

I’m so pleased she did. Her confidence has grown so much. She really enjoyed being with the small group & looked forward to going every week. She now answers questions in class even if she thinks she’s going to say the wrong thing she still has a bash, she has also stood up in her school play (on her own) & said her lines 6 months ago she would have been sat on the side.

Thank you, Special Time.

My son began seeing Penn for a period of 12-18 months following a major change in his family circumstances. He was struggling with these changes and this was impacting his school and home life and relationships.

He had weekly sessions with Penn that fitted around his school timetable. He began to enjoy the sessions and changed into a confident and happier little boy. For me the biggest impact was he was able to communicate how he was feeling, something that he found really frustrating before.

Penn was amazing for us as a family at a difficult time. I cannot thank her enough.

My son took part in Play Therapy and it was immeasurably beneficial to the recovery of his confidence and happiness. I would like to say thank you for helping him settle back into school life, Penn is absolutely fantastic, such a credit to Play Therapy!

As you are aware my son came from a school where he was having some “social” issues, this had affected his behaviour and overall happiness, as you would expect.

A long break over the summer holidays went some way to restoring him, but I believe that the proactive nature of the school in suggesting that he took part in play therapy was immeasurably beneficial to the recovery of his confidence and happiness.

Since partaking in play therapy “my” smiley, happy go lucky son has returned, I am confident in saying that there has been a noticeable improvement in his focus, he appears to be more emotionally mature and settled, with some new “tools” to help him deal with life. He is back to being a happy, bouncy boy!

I would like to say thank you for helping him settle back into school life, Penn is absolutely fantastic, such a credit to the play therapy organisation! My son is very fond of her and misses his special time, but, he does understand it is someone else’s turn now!

Our son was struggling to settle into a new school and was having difficulty expressing his emotions. He was having trouble making friends and was clearly anxious. Through play therapy he was able to process the feelings and emotions that he had been unable to communicate. He looked forward to his weekly time with Penn and has built a strong relationship with her. Our son is now much happier, settled and more confident.

After going through a very traumatic time at home my son was struggling to concentrate at school which in turn greatly affected his confidence and consequently his behaviour deteriorated.

It was during this difficult time that school introduced us to Penn and ‘Special Time’. It consisted of group sessions and we were constantly updated and the process was clearly explained to us.

At the end of the 6 sessions my son produced a ‘Treasure Box’ which consisted of all the things he had done during his ‘Special Time’, and which obviously meant a great deal to him as he told us later.

The improvement in him was plain to see; so much so that we carried on with private sessions. He will now sit and talk to me about what he’s been doing etc., – such a big step for him.

This September he started secondary school and thanks to ‘Special Time’ he has gone as a happy, confident young man ready to face the future.

My son had 6 sessions with Penn and although I never asked him about the sessions he was always so excited about them. He felt valued, important and part of a team.

I’m really glad he was given this opportunity, he has grown in confidence and feels a little more positive about the challenges ahead.

I cannot thank you enough he thoroughly enjoyed his time with you.

Our 8 year old son had a few sessions of play therapy in his previous village school setting. He finds it difficult to communicate & has a number of anxieties due to being a sibling of a younger brother with autism. His brother’s disability has an impact on him and as a result, he expressed his emotions through anger when he got frustrated.

He appeared to benefit from the play therapy sessions with Penn as it was ‘his time’ in a quiet and relaxing environment & he could choose to communicate as and when he felt ready, after playing with the various materials on offer – he mentioned sand & various other materials, which ever he chose to use/communicate his feelings. Although we avoided questioning our son on the sessions as they were his time & it was important for him to establish trust with the play therapist and the contents of the sessions were confidential, he definitely appeared more relaxed & confident & looked forward to the sessions.

My son attended a block of weekly play therapy sessions with Penn, whilst going through a difficult time. The sessions gave him a chance to explore his emotions and needs through play.

He enjoyed attending the sessions and looked forward to them each week. Penn put him completely at ease, he knew that he didn’t have to speak about what he’d done whilst there but often wanted to share with me what he’d enjoyed doing.

The sessions really helped my son process his emotions and feelings in a positive way.

My 10 year old grandson benefited greatly from the time he spent with Penn Wall, Play Therapist. As the older brother of a sibling with very complex needs he struggled to articulate his feelings of frustration at the amount of time and attention his brother needed. Penn allowed him to explore his feelings in an appropriate way and gave him the time to process his thoughts and emotions.

I am very grateful for Penn’s help and kindness and would not hesitate to recommend her services to anyone in a similar situation. Or to anyone needing help with their children’s emotional well-being. Children can benefit so much, through play, to learn coping mechanisms for so many eventualities, including loss, anxiety, trauma and many other things too numerous to mention. Through Play Therapy you can help your child to help him or herself.