ADHD Play Therapy in Plano, TX

Is This Your Child?

Maybe your child can't sit still through dinner, loses their shoes twice a day, or interrupts every conversation without meaning to. Maybe school has called more than once about impulsivity or trouble focusing. Maybe you've wondered if it's ADHD, or maybe you already have that diagnosis and are looking for something beyond a behavior chart.

I see kids as young as 3, but ADHD tendencies usually become more visible between ages 5 and 11, once the demands of school and structured activities really kick in. Wherever your child falls in that range, this is a space built around how they actually communicate, through play, not through sitting still and explaining themselves.

What This Often Looks Like

• Difficulty sitting still or waiting their turn, at home, at school, or in activities with rules and structure
• Big emotions that come on fast, frustration or meltdowns that seem out of proportion to what triggered them
• Trouble focusing on one task, even ones they genuinely enjoy
• Impulsive choices that get them in trouble before they've had time to think it through
• Low self-esteem from repeatedly being told to slow down, focus, or behave

One honest thing worth knowing: ADHD behavior does not show up the same way every week. Some sessions, a child's play is remarkably focused, focused enough that I start to wonder if the diagnosis fits at all. Other sessions, they move from toy to toy the entire hour, which often has more to do with what happened at school that day than with ADHD itself. Kids fluctuate as they develop. There is rarely one consistent pattern, and that inconsistency is normal, not a sign something is being missed.

How We Work Together

Yes, play therapy does actually help kids with ADHD. It gives them a space to focus on specific tasks, learn and respect real limits, express themselves honestly, and build self-esteem, all without a worksheet or a reward chart in sight.

Why Play, Specifically

Kids rarely have a space where they are actually in control of what they do. School has rules. Home has rules. Even extracurriculars come with structure and direction. In almost every part of a child's day, someone else is deciding what happens next.

Non-directive, child-centered play therapy flips that. Your child gets to make real choices, then process the feelings that come with those choices, all inside a room with clear, consistent limits. That combination, freedom plus real structure, is exactly what builds the kind of focus and self-regulation a worksheet never will.

The Most Common Misconception

The myth I hear most often is that parents are just paying me to play with their kid, something they could do at home for free. Play therapy is not just play. It is a therapeutic environment where your child learns to work within limits, builds self-identity and self-esteem, and processes big emotions they don't yet have words for. Kids use play the way adults use conversation. Unlike a well-meaning parent, coach, or teacher, I'm trained to translate that language and help your child actually process what's underneath it.

Play Therapy, Behavioral Therapy, or Medication: Where Each Fits

I am not anti-medication. It's a genuinely helpful development in this field and absolutely has a place when it's needed. That said, my own perspective treats medication as a helpful resource, not the first or only answer. I don't jump straight to recommending a psychiatric evaluation.

Play therapy tends to be the right starting point when your child is struggling with boundaries, big emotions, or a hard transition, since it targets the root of the behavior rather than just managing the behavior itself. Behavioral therapy and medication both have their place too, and I'm always honest with parents about when a referral for a fuller evaluation makes sense.

Do You Need a Diagnosis First?

Not at all. If you suspect your child may have ADHD tendencies, we can start there. Play therapy itself can offer real clarity, and it can absolutely help while your family is still in the process of pursuing a comprehensive evaluation, not just after one.

What You Can Expect

Every four weeks, we'll have a parent consultation, the same structure I use in all of my kids therapy work. That's your time to hear updates, flag anything new at home or school, ask questions, and adjust the plan as needed.

Over time, many parents notice their child:

• Pausing before reacting, even briefly, where before there was none
• Naming a feeling instead of acting it out immediately
• Showing more patience with tasks that used to end in frustration fast
• Feeling more confident, less like the kid who's always in trouble

Progress with ADHD is rarely a straight line. It ebbs and flows as your child grows, and that's expected, not a sign therapy isn't working.

Getting Started

• Step 1: Free Consultation. We'll talk for 15 minutes about what you're seeing at home and see if this feels like the right fit.
• Step 2: First Session. Your child meets me and the playroom. I'll explain what therapy is in kid-friendly terms and let them lead from there.
• Step 3: Ongoing Work. Weekly sessions, with a parent check-in every four weeks to track what's shifting.

Taking the First Step

You don't need a diagnosis, a behavior chart, or a fully worked-out plan to reach out. You just need to be curious about whether this could help. Let's start with a free 15 minute consultation.