After 18 years of working with children, young people and their families in Swindon and Wiltshire, Anna Pope established Apple Bay Play & Wellbeing out of her passion to support children’s mental health.

As a play therapist with a background in youth and community work, Anna has worked in a number of settings including schools, pre-schools, youth centres, private practice and the local community. Her background has given her a wealth of knowledge and experience that benefits her current practice.

Apply Bay Play is an ever-growing entirety as Anna’s work responds to current needs and her own reflective practice.

The name Apple Bay speaks to Anna’s love of nature and the lessons it can teach us.

From her kitchen window, she has the pleasure of watching an apple tree as it changes through the different seasons, reminding us that life is ever-changing. Just like that apple tree, sometimes we flourish and sometimes we have to face hardships. It’s in those hard moments that we sometimes need time and support, as we get ready for the next season.

Venturing past the garden walls, the seaside also has much to offer. Anna is someone who loves to visit the beach, especially when life feels tough. It amazing how a walk on a beach or a swim in the sea can help us reset and find calm. Anna hopes the spaces she holds for her clients help them to find their own ‘bay’, whatever that might look like.

Anna offers an Integrative Holistic Play Therapy approach, using play and creative arts resources. This means she is child-led, giving the client the space to focus on what is most important to them. This facilitates lasting change by supporting children to find their own answers.

Play therapy relies on the notion that children tend to play what is on their minds. This means they are able to communicate even if they do not have the words to say. As Anna gets to know your child, they may start to put words to feelings and look at strategies, but again this is child-led.

The only rule in the room is that everyone must be safe. It is important that the sessions communicate that feelings are not bad, but they can become a problem if they make us feel or act in an unsafe way.

Anna runs most of her sessions from an office in Basepoint Business Park. It is kitted out with a wide range of resources, including a sand tray, lego, creative art resources (including clay & slime making), mini-figures, musical instruments, games and puppets. Hopefully, this means that every client can find something that interests them.

There is no fixed number of sessions, but Anna suggests ten sessions before your first review meeting. At this point, ending or adding on more sessions can be discussed.

If you are considering Play Therapy for your child, Anna can offer you a free, initial appointment to discuss your child’s needs and explore whether play therapy is the right intervention for them. At this point, your children will be invited to attend sessions. Their first session is always a child appropriate introduction session.

As a therapist, Anna’s sessions are confidential (unless there is a safeguarding issue), so when talking to parents, she is not able to discuss what your child does in their sessions. However, in your conversations and meetings, she can discuss themes, as and when it’s appropriate.