In 1986, the Frances Leiter Center (FLC) opened in Chambersburg, PA, on the grounds of the Chambersburg Church of the Brethren.  It has been housed in three locations, most recently at 539 Lincoln Way East.  

 

Child-centered play therapy, counseling, and family support referrals are provided by professional staff in a home-like environment.   For key staff at FLC, click here.

 

Services Provided

 

Play therapy:

Play therapy is a process which helps children resolve feelings about issues that are important to them.  There are stages to play therapy which children work through.  As children play through these scenes, the play therapist assists them in resolving how they feel, learning coping strategies and understanding the events that shape their lives.

 

Counseling:

Professional counselors provide individualized counseling for children and adolescents.

What is Play Therapy?

Play therapy is a special, successful method used with children ages 3 to 18 which allows them to express how they are feeling in a comfortable, safe environment.  Children are given the opportunity to play, as they wish, with a variety of toys, games, art supplies, and dress-up clothes.

 

How Does Play Therapy Work?

Expressing feelings with words can be hard for children because they have not developed the capacity to do so.  Play, however, is a way children can symbolically act out their feelings by recreating experiences and the emotions tied to them.  The play therapist builds a trusting relationship with children by accepting how the child is feeling, allowing the child to express him or herself and showing the child that the therapist is interested in and understands how the child is feeling.  The play therapy room becomes a special place where it is safe and appropriate to let out feelings.  Children also encounter the “real” world in the play room, as the therapist sets appropriate limits and follows through on consequences.  In this way, children learn to maintain their own behavior within established boundaries.