Marian Connell, the founder of ‘Kildare Play and Art Psychotherapy’, has a B.A in Social Care, a Post Graduate Diploma in Child Art Psychotherapy, Post Graduate Diploma in Practice Based Play Therapy, and an MSc in Child Art Psychotherapy. Marian holds professional membership in Play Therapy Ireland, affiliated with Play Therapy International. Marian is on the accredited voluntary register of Play & Creative arts therapists managed by PTUK.

Marian has over thirty years of experience in working with families in their communities and has fifteen years of experience as a child therapist working with children and adolescents.

Marian works as a university lecturer in Social Care for over thirteen years delivering modules in creative arts, creative group work and facilitation skills and professional practice.

Play Therapist & Child Art Psychotherapist:

Marian is very experienced in working with children and adolescents using art and play therapy techniques in helping them work through their difficulties. Child Art Psychotherapy and Play Therapy create a safe and therapeutic environment for them to express their feelings and emotions within a creative process. Child Art Psychotherapy and Play therapy are effective mediums for working with trauma, loss, anger management and anxiety.

Marian offers child art psychotherapy and play therapy sessions in Kildare Play and Art Psychotherapy Centre to children and adolescents aged from 5 to 18 years of age.

Clinical Supervision: Marian offers clinical supervision to play therapy students.

Parenting Support:

Marian is trained to deliver the Incredible Years Parenting Program and the SPACE parenting program details available https://www.spacetreatment.net/space-providers.

Marian offers parenting support sessions to parents to build the relationship between parent and child, adopt positive parenting strategies and help parents manage their children/adolescent’s anxiety.

Testimonial from a parent who sought support for their child with anxiety:

‘I contacted Marian on the 31st of August 2021, I was at the end of the road, I didn’t know what to do but I knew I needed help. I have a beautiful daughter that wouldn’t go to school. I tried everything cajoling, giving out, pressurizing, tempting, offering rewards. I got the school involved but nothing worked. From that first phone call Maran was understanding, non-judgmental and helpful. I calmed down and started to see the wood from the trees. With Marian’s help I recognized how the issue arose. Marian suggested two brilliant books and provided materials that I could use with my child. We decided that the best approach was for Marian to coach my husband and I to make changes to how we interacted with our child. We made the changes and the whole atmosphere in our family changed to more positive and loving. We matured as a family and learned to set and keep boundaries. It took a couple of weeks of focusing on the right things and gradually the issue dissolved. We learned how to remain calm, to focus on the right things and to help build trust and kindness in our home. I firmly believe it was Marian’s advice that put us on the right track and can’t recommend Marian and her approach highly enough ‘