San Diego Play Therapy for Children with Big Feelings
Somatic and child-centered therapy for children ages 4 and older who are navigating anger, anxiety, grief, and medical complexities.
When your child is struggling, the overall family struggles.
You might be here because…
You feel like you're walking on eggshells at home.
You want to help your child—but you're not sure what to do anymore.
Your child goes from 0 to 100 very quickly and frequently,
Your child or another family member received a terminal diagnosis or is living with a chronic illness that has become more disruptive.
Your child experienced a traumatic medical experience.
Your child is struggling after a death of a loved one, divorce, move, or other major life change.
If any of these sound familiar, you’re in the right place.
Specialties
Anger Outbursts & Emotional RegulationAnxiety
Big feelings can be hard for children to understand and even harder to express. Therapy helps children discover what is underneath their anger and other intense emotions while developing healthier ways to communicate, regulate, and cope.
When worry starts taking over your child's everyday life, it can be difficult for both of you. Therapy can help children understand their anxiety, build emotional awareness, and develop tools to feel more confident and in control.
Hospitalizations, procedures, diagnoses, and ongoing medical care can be overwhelming for children and families. I have lived childhood experience as a TBI survivor as well as continuing to navigate chronic health diagnosis, and I can help guide you and your child through the process of integrating this reality with normalcy.
Children experience grief in their own unique ways. Whether your child is coping with the death of someone they love or another significant loss or life change, therapy provides a safe place to process feelings, make sense of what happened, and heal.
Medical & Chronic Health ConditionsGrief & LossBrave Heart Child & Family Counseling Inc offers in-person child therapy sessions and monthly virtual parent collateral services throughout California for children and families navigating grief and loss, complicated medical diagnosis and chronic illness, anxiety, and anger outbursts.
Based in San Diego, CA, Belinda Lee, LMFT, Registered Play Therapist, provides compassionate, specialized care that blends clinical expertise with lived experience.
Welcome!
I’m Belinda Lee, LMFT, RPT
I believe that everyone - including children - have a unique story to tell and that their experiences and emotions matter.
I am passionate about restoring peace in the home again, regulating nervous systems, and helping parents better understand your children’s emotional experiences while simultaneously equipping children to understand and integrate challenging life experiences.
I specialize in using play therapy and somatic modalities to work with children ages 4 and up, and their families to address concerns of anxiety, anger, grief and loss, complicated medical experiences and more.
Parenting is hard enough. Getting started is simple and supportive.
01 Schedule a Free 15 minute Consult
Starting therapy can feel unfamiliar and overwhelming for both children and parents. Reach out via the contact form, and Belinda will connect with you over phone or email within the next few business days to assess for fit and provide parents with a brief overview of the therapeutic process as well as answer any questions.
Appropriate client inquiries will complete the informed consent and paperwork associated with starting therapy. Parents can schedule an intake appointment using the online scheduler in the client portal.
02 Begin Therapy
Belinda will meet with parents to provide parenting skills and meet with your child to increase your child’s emotional awareness and language, which will increase their abilities to appropriately advocate for their needs.
03 Experience Relief
How I help
My primary approach in therapy is to use child-centered play therapy, Gestalt play therapy, and Somatic Experiencing.
Play is empowering for children, as it is their natural language and expression.
Playing for a child is like talk therapy for an adult. Toys are children’s words, as one of the play therapy founders Gary Landreth says. Through play, children naturally process, make sense, and integrate experiences they often cannot put into words.
Somatic Experiencing is about understanding our own nervous systems and instinctual body reactions and learning to regulate our emotional responses that way.
The therapeutic process of play therapy, combined with Somatic Experiencing tools, equips children so they can express themselves in a healthier manner, make more thoughtful, informed choices in their life, and live up to the potential of who they have been created to be.
Frequently Asked Questions
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It is important to build and maintain healthy, supportive relationships outside of the therapy setting, and this will be encouraged. However, a therapist offers a neutral, confidential, and unbiased space for you and/or your child to talk about your concerns. The therapist has professional training and experience to help you/your child develop a different perspective, obtain tools to manage your feelings and thoughts, and consider alternative solutions without the expectations or pressures that might be present with friends or family members. Unlike an AI assistant, a therapist may also challenge you or your child’s perspectives to encourage emotional growth and resilience.
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Sometimes children and/or families need a separate party to be involved to provide additional support. As your child’s therapist, I am a part of the village that supports your entire family system. Seeking therapy is not a sign of weakness or shame or embarrassment. Research finds that the presence of a caring, stable adult in a child’s life can offset negative, challenging life experiences.
Here are a few of the situations in which play therapy would be beneficial:
Anger and aggressive behaviors
Anxiety (i.e. excessive fear or worry, negative self-talk, etc.)
Grief and loss (i.e. death, loss of an important relationship, multiple moves, loss of identity, etc.)
Trauma (i.e. exposure to frightening experiences, car accident, significant medical procedures, e-bike or e-scooter accidents, etc.)
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All belief systems are welcome here. I am a Christian therapist, and I approach my clients and the therapeutic process from that perspective. However, I will not actively include or refer to Christianity in our sessions unless you (specifically, your child) ask me to incorporate faith in our time together.
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The only insurance I accept is Tricare Select. I offer the anti-oppressive fee structure for all other families to make therapy more financially accessible to communities.
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Play therapy helps children with anxiety by giving them a developmentally appropriate, non‑verbal way to express fears and practice coping skills in a safe setting. Key benefits reported by clinical organizations and research include:
Improved emotional expression and processing (children can 'show' rather than explain worries). (a4pt.org)
Development of coping and self‑regulation skills (breathing, problem‑solving, calming strategies practiced through play).
Reduction in anxiety symptoms and behavior problems as therapists use play to model and rehearse adaptive responses.
Safer processing of trauma or intrusive thoughts when verbal expression is limited, allowing gradual exposure and mastery.
Improved parent–child interactions when family or parent‑focused components are included.
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Belinda Lee, LMFT, RPT, primarily works with children, but she also work with teens and parents who are navigating anxiety, anger, medical trauma, and grief and loss. Play therapy is recommended for children up until 12 or 13 years old.
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Due to the varying nature of concerns and the different personalities of each client, I am unable to predict the length of your therapy. There are no guarantees of how your child will change as a result of therapy, but therapy often leads to a significant reduction in feelings of distress, solutions to specific problems, and better relationships. Participation in therapy is voluntary, so it typically lasts until you are content with the changes and progress made.
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Each play therapy session is 45-50 minutes in length.
Parents are expected to be active participants in the child’s therapeutic process and are invited into that relationship, as long as it is not detrimental to the child’s well being. You can read more here: About Play Therapy.
For adults and older children with whom play therapy would not apply, therapy would be a collaborative process between the individual in treatment and the therapist.
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Your child’s sessions are confidential with the exceptions of mandated reporting standards and harm to self or others. However, parent sessions are offered once a month to insure that therapeutic progress and address therapeutic goals. Parents are highly encouraged to stay appropriately involved in the therapeutic process as that impacts the longterm results of your child’s mental health.
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Belinda works with children in-person in her play therapy office, unless there are extenuating circumstances that do not allow for in-person sessions. Parent sessions are offered virtually.
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Here’s a brief example of what most parents can expect at their child’s first play-therapy session.
Child meets the therapist and explores the playroom: the child is typically invited into a safe play space with toys; the therapist lets the child lead so rapport and comfort can develop. (This is the primary goal early on — not “fixing” anything in one visit.)
Progress often takes multiple sessions. Quick tips for the day: arrive a few minutes early, tell your child in simple, neutral terms what to expect (e.g., “You’ll get to play with lots of toys with the feelings doctor”), and plan a calming snack or activity after the first session.
With the right support, you can...
Experience hope and healing despite the challenges
Regain a sense of peace
Feel understood and validated
Feel more connected
Witness more resilience
Develop tools to support your child and family now and in the future
You and your child are not broken. Therapy is about supporting your child uniquely in the way that works best for them and your family. It is about helping you and your child rediscover ways to navigate your story and life with increased compassion and confidence.