Wexford town based therapist shares powerful advice for parents

Located at 16 Lower Georges Street in Wexford town, Claudia Malocca is a Child and Adolescent Psychotherapist who specialises in Play Therapy with her business ….

Since opening her practice Over The Rainbow Play Therapy in 2019, she has been helping children and families navigate challenges such as trauma, anxiety, and emotional distress through the power of play.

We caught up with Claudia who discusses her motivations for joining this sector, the challenges that she faces with her business, and how she deals with her own Mental Health, given the complex issues that she is often deals with and has to take home. Cladia also shares practical advice to parents who may believe that their child is struggling.

A journey of resilience

Claudia’s professional journey hasn’t been straightforward. After a serious car accident in 2022, she was unable to work for nearly two years, but her determination saw her rebuild her practice from the ground up.

“I set up the business in 2019. However, I was in a serious car accident in July 2022 where I was out of work for almost two years. At the time of the accident, my business had just been established. So, since March 2024 I have been building it back up again,” she told Wexford Weekly.

Supporting children through play

Claudia explains that her work centres around helping children process emotions and experiences through play, a language that children understand instinctively.

“I’m a child and adolescent psychotherapist with a specialisation in play therapy. I provide one-to-one therapy sessions with children from the age of four up to sixteen years. I work with children with all types of presenting difficulties, such as low self-esteem, dyslexia, disabilities, anxiety, neurodivergence, loss, bereavement, trauma, and emotional or behavioural difficulties.”

The play therapy process starts with parent consultations. I gain a parent’s perspective on their child’s presenting difficulty. I then do one-to-one play therapy sessions with the child once per week. Consistency is key. The play therapy sessions are child-led, so once the child has established trust and built a relationship with me, children naturally present their difficulties through play.”

“Play therapy is a developmentally appropriate way for children to express themselves. Children’s brains are not fully developed, such as the cortical (thinking) brain, so children cannot express themselves like adults can. In relationships and play, feel-good hormones such as oxytocin and dopamine are also released, which dissolve stress hormones like cortisol. Play can therefore feel safe to alleviate fears through dramatic distance from their trauma,” Claudia told Wexford Weekly

Empowering parents and the wider community

Beyond individual sessions, Claudia works with parents and teachers to create supportive environments that help children thrive.

“I also offer parent support sessions to empower parents with tools to understand their children, or to support their children with difficulties. Previously, I have also done parenting group classes, children’s group workshops, and teacher training sessions.”

“At the time I set my business up, not many people had ever heard of play therapy, especially in Wexford. Many parents knew that their children had difficulties, but didn’t know where to get support. It is extremely challenging for parents when their child is suffering because they don’t know what to say or do to help their child. They feel totally vulnerable and helpless. But that is why I am here!”

The challenges of running a therapy practice

Claudia says she loves her work but feels strongly that government funding for children’s mental health is inadequate.

“I absolutely love what I do. I am so grateful that I have found my passion!

I believe that government funding is an issue. The average funding allocated by the health service is only 4% to 6% per year. Funding mental health should become more of a priority in our government to provide more services to people who cannot afford play therapy. Being proactive in children’s mental health is so important to minimise later difficulties in adulthood. Suicide rates in Wexford are disturbingly high. If more people had access to the right support at the right time, especially in childhood. What a different world we would live in,” she says.

Managing her own mental health

Working closely with children facing trauma can be emotionally heavy, and Claudia acknowledges the challenge of keeping work and home life separate.

“I find bringing issues home very challenging. My work is relationship-based and I genuinely care about all of the children I work with. So, when complex issues arise, that can be very difficult not to bring my work home. I try to make a conscious effort not to.”

“All therapists must attend supervision; this is to maintain high ethical standards and to continue to provide the best practice for our clients. This is also a space where therapists can discuss difficult cases that we work with too. Since my training, I have made self-care a priority. Such as going to the gym, making a more conscious effort to take time off. I also attend personal therapy.”

Collaboration with parents and teachers

For Claudia, successful outcomes depend on teamwork between therapists, parents, and educators — all working together in the child’s best interests.

“Parent collaboration is pivotal during the play therapy process. I start the therapeutic process by having consultations with parents to establish a collaborative partnership approach. To gain an understanding of their child and also to empower parents to be the therapeutic change agent. For example, predictability and consistency at home are vital to promote psychological safety for a child throughout their play therapy. A child may be physically safe. But when trauma has occurred or if the child suffers symptoms of anxiety the brain does not feel safe.”

“Whether it would be practical advice on how to manage emotional/behavioural difficulties. Or to empower them to have more confidence as a parent. We also set therapeutic goals that we wish to achieve throughout the process. I then schedule parent reviews every six weeks to find useful ways to support the child’s therapeutic progress.”

“In some cases, where there is also presenting difficulties in school. I would liaise with teachers. Working collaboratively and consistently across all areas of the child’s life facilitates the best outcomes.”

Advice for parents supporting a child through grief or distress

Claudia believes that the foundation of helping a child begins with the parent’s own wellbeing. She encourages parents to prioritise self-care and early intervention.

“Firstly, I always start with the parent. Parents’ self-care is pivotal. For instance, in an aviation emergency. You must apply your own mask first! You cannot pour from an empty cup. Once a parent feels more fully resourced they have more capacity to respond rather than react to their children. Every morning do a check in with yourself. How full is your emotional fuel tank, if it is low that just means you need to take more time for yourself on that day. Small things like a coffee in peace, or taking two minutes to breathe before entering work.”

“If you believe that your child is struggling, it is pivotal to seek support as early as possible. Sometimes parents believe the ‘child will grow out of it’. This then leads to more complex and longer interventions. The earliest intervention possible may be as simple as some parent support sessions. In comparison to 8 to 10 months of therapy.”

“If a parent believes that their child is struggling. Consistency and predictability are always at the forefront to create psychological safety. A child may be physically safe, however, when children experience anxiety, their brain does not feel safe. In most cases, I recommend parents get a calendar where their child can use stickers or draw what the schedule is for the week. This is also great if there is an upcoming change to a child’s routine. They can clearly see.”

“Another strong recommendation is 15 minutes of play time with your child per day. Allow your child to lead. Even if you feel like you are not a good player, simply state what you see. No phones and no distractions! On busy days, take 10 seconds to remind your child of the ways that you love them, what their unique characteristics are or notice something new about them. The greatest gift you can give your child is presence. I see you, I hear you! Even more so in the challenging times.”