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  • Play Therapy is a way of being with children that honors their unique developmental level. Licensed mental health professionals use Play Therapy to help children better express themselves, resolve emotional and behavioral problems, and heal from trauma using the language of the child - play.

  • The term “ACEs” comes from the CDC-Kaiser Adverse Childhood Experiences study, a groundbreaking public health study which revealed the long term impact of trauma in childhood. ACEs are extremely stressful events in childhood which harm children’s developing brains and bodies, affect families for generations, and are at the root of most chronic disease, mental illness, and violence.

  • embrACE jax works with our community partners to increase access to play therapy training for emerging and existing community providers.

  • Registered Play Therapists (RPTs) are licensed mental health professionals who have received specialized training to provide developmentally appropriate counseling to for children. To address the shortage of RPTs, embrACE jax has created an intentional model of professional development for aspiring RPTs, especially those from underrepresented communities who may not be able to afford specialized play therapy training. To become an RPT the following must be attained:
    - 150 play therapy education hours
     - 350 play therapy clinical experiece hours
    - 35 supervision hours with a Registered Play Therapist Supervisor.

  • Before the age of 18….

    1. Did you feel that you didn’t have enough to eat, had to wear dirty clothes, or had no one to protect or take care of you?

    2. Did you lose a parent through divorce, abandonment, death, or another reason?

    3. Did you live with anyone who was depressed, mentally ill, or attempted suicide?

    4. Did you live with anyone who had a problem with drinking or using drugs?

    5. Did your parents or the adults in your home ever hit, punch, beat or threaten to harm each other?

    6. Did you live with anyone who went to jail or prison?

    7. Did a parent or adult in the home ever swear at you, insult you, or put you down?

    8. Did a parent or adult in the home ever hit, beat, kick, or physically hurt you in any way?

    9. Did you feel that no one in your family loved you or thought you were special?

    10. Did you experience unwanted sexual contact?

    Your ACE score is the total number of YES responses.

why play therapy?

Children don’t use words to communicate. But they do communicate through play. Play Therapy uses the therapeutic power of play to help children effectively communicate thoughts and feelings, and process trauma in a developmentally appropriate way.

THE LASTING IMPACT OF TRAUMA IN CHILDHOOD

“What we have in prisons are the most traumatized people in our society.”

ACEs are disproportionately high within the prison system. Left untreated, the public health threat of childhood trauma has a lasting implications for prisons and communities.

what are aces?

Adverse Childhood Experiences are toxic stressors in childhood which cause a prolonged activation of the stress response system. Without the support of a nurturing, buffering caregiver, toxic stress has a long-term impact on a child’s developing brain, body, and behavior.

importance of supporting parents

Parents and caregivers often face their own challenging life circumstances, which make it difficult to provide the supportive relationships that children need in order to thrive. Caregivers build resilience though supportive relationships, and by learning skills which empower them to overcome adversity and strengthen their families and communities.

“it’s not just a social worker’s problem, it’s not just a psychologist’s problem, it’s not just a pediatrician’s problem, its everybody’s problem”

ACEs affect families for generations, and have significant financial and social implications for the community as a whole related to rates of crime, incarceration, public health problems, substance abuse, and mental illness.

toxic stress impacts brain development

Constant activation of the stress response overloads a child’s developing brain and body, resulting in a stress response system set permanently on high alert, and reduced neural connections related to learning and reasoning.

“you want to shout it from the rooftop”

Exposure to adversity affects the developing brains and bodies of children, impacting health across the lifespan. There is a significant need to prevent, screen, and treat ACEs by providing mental health care and support for parents.