Play Therapy
Your Child Isn’t Giving You a Hard Time.
When children struggle, they often cannot tell us with words.
Instead, they show us.
Through behavior.
Big emotions.
Anxiety.
Tantrums.
Withdrawal.
Aggression.
Perfectionism.
School refusal.
Sleep difficulties.
Clinginess.
Or emotional shutdown.
What may look like “misbehavior” is often a child doing the best they can with a nervous system that feels overwhelmed.
At Music City Family Therapy, we believe behavior is communication.
Our job isn’t simply to stop the behavior.
Our job is to understand what your child is trying to tell us.
Children Speak the Language of Play
Adults process life by talking.
Children process life by playing.
Play is the natural language of childhood.
Through play, children express experiences they cannot yet explain with words.
They practice courage.
Work through fear.
Develop emotional regulation.
Build confidence.
Process grief.
Strengthen relationships.
And discover they are safe enough to simply be children again.
Play therapy is an evidence-informed, developmentally appropriate therapeutic approach that helps children communicate, heal, and grow.
To a child, play is serious work.
We See More Than the Child
This is where Music City Family Therapy is different.
Many practices focus primarily on the child.
We certainly do.
But children don’t live in therapy.
They live within families.
Every day they return to parents, siblings, classrooms, friendships, routines, and relationships.
That means lasting change rarely happens by helping only the child.
It grows as parents and caregivers gain new understanding, strengthen relationships, and create greater emotional safety at home.
Our goal isn’t simply to help a child feel better in the playroom. Our goal is to help the family become a safer, stronger place for healing to continue.
Why Our Approach Is Different
Dr. Stacy Jagger is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and Registered Play Therapist-Supervisor whose work brings together play therapy, attachment theory, family systems, interpersonal neurobiology, trauma-informed care, experiential therapies, and parent coaching.
Her early play therapy training and supervision included work with Dr. Paris Goodyear-Brown, and her clinical philosophy has been especially shaped by the principles of Synergetic Play Therapy developed by Lisa Dion.
Dr. Stacy has devoted more than three decades to working with children and families, including 15 years in private practice.
Over those years, one truth became increasingly clear:
Children often have greater support for lasting change when the adults around them are learning and growing, too.
That realization became the foundation of Catalytic Family Therapy, Dr. Jagger’s relationship-centered clinical model.
While play therapy remains an essential part of helping many children heal, Dr. Jagger believes therapy should not end when a child leaves the playroom.
Parents and caregivers are among the greatest agents of change in a child’s life.
By helping children and the adults who love them understand one another differently, families can create healthier patterns of connection that continue long after therapy ends.
We Believe Curiosity Changes Everything
Instead of asking,
“How do we stop this behavior?”
We ask,
“What is this child trying to communicate?”
Instead of asking,
“What’s wrong with this child?”
We ask,
“What has this child experienced, and what do they need now?”
Those questions often change the direction of therapy.
And they often change the relationship between parents and children.
Parents Are Essential to the Process
Parents are not expected to sit on the sidelines.
They are one of the most important resources in a child’s life.
Throughout therapy, we help parents better understand what may be happening beneath the behavior while providing practical tools to strengthen connection, improve communication, and respond with both compassion and healthy boundaries.
Because therapy shouldn’t stay inside the playroom.
It should come home.
What Play Therapy Can Build
Children often develop:
- Greater emotional awareness
- Improved emotional regulation
- Healthier coping skills
- Increased confidence
- Stronger relationships
- Greater resilience
- Better problem-solving abilities
- Increased emotional flexibility
Parents often gain:
- Greater confidence
- A deeper understanding of their child’s needs
- Practical tools they can use at home
- Stronger parent-child relationships
- More connection and less conflict
Our hope is not simply for a calmer child.
Our hope is for a healthier family.
Our Approach Is Individualized
Every child has a different story.
Every family has different strengths.
Every treatment plan is unique.
Depending on your child’s developmental needs and therapeutic goals, treatment may include play therapy, parent coaching, family therapy, expressive therapies, attachment-based interventions, nervous system regulation, or other evidence-informed approaches.
We don’t believe in one-size-fits-all therapy.
We believe in understanding the unique child and family sitting in front of us.
Imagine Home Feeling Different
Imagine…
A child who feels understood instead of misunderstood.
Bedtime without constant battles.
School mornings with less anxiety.
More laughter around the dinner table.
Parents who feel equipped instead of overwhelmed.
A family that enjoys being together again.
That is what we’re working toward.
Your Next Step
You do not need to know exactly what your child needs before reaching out.
You only need to know that something doesn’t feel right.
We’ll help you understand what your child may not yet have the words to say and work with your family to build greater connection, emotional safety, resilience, and hope.
Every child deserves a place to play, a place to belong, and a family that understands them. We would be honored to help you build all three.