The Mindfulness Studio

The Mindfulness Studio Dothan-based counselor specializing in play therapy for kids facing behavioral issues, autism, ADHD, anger, defiance, trauma, anxiety, and more.

Support also available for parenting challenges and skill-building.

Kids don’t come up to you and say, “I’ve been reflecting on some internal conflicts lately.” 😅They play.They crash thing...
05/15/2026

Kids don’t come up to you and say, “I’ve been reflecting on some internal conflicts lately.” 😅

They play.

They crash things. Repeat things. Turn one toy into the villain and another into the hero. And it can look random… but it’s not.

From a CCPT perspective, play is how children make sense of their experiences. It’s where they sort through feelings, test ideas, and work out things that are too big or too confusing to say out loud.

So when it looks like “just play”…
it’s actually a child doing some pretty important work.

Our job as play therapists isn’t to rush it or clean it up too quickly…
it’s to understand what might be underneath it 👀

He grabbed the toy first.His sister grabbed it back.And just like that, it turned into yelling, grabbing, tears 😤… the k...
05/08/2026

He grabbed the toy first.
His sister grabbed it back.
And just like that, it turned into yelling, grabbing, tears 😤… the kind of moment that makes you think, this can’t just be about the toy.

Because it’s not.

Sometimes what looks like “fighting over everything” is really a child trying to handle something that feels overwhelming on the inside… without the words to say it.

So it comes out sideways.
In arguing.
In pushing back.
In going from 0 to 100 over something small.

In play therapy, we don’t treat that like bad behavior that needs to be shut down. We see it as something that needs space to come out safely.

That’s why, in the playroom, your child might still test limits. They might still show anger. But the difference is how it’s met. The limits are steady, calm, and consistent… and your child doesn’t lose the relationship for having big feelings.

That’s new for them🤝

And over time, that’s what changes things.
They start to handle limits without as much fight.
They find other ways to express what’s going on.

Not because they were forced to behave…
but because they’re not overwhelmed and alone in it anymore ❤️

He has all the toys he needs.Cars lined up. Shelves full. A whole world sitting right in front of him.And still… he stan...
05/02/2026

He has all the toys he needs.

Cars lined up. Shelves full. A whole world sitting right in front of him.

And still… he stands there.

Because kids don’t just need play.
They need someone in it with them.

From a clinical play therapy perspective, play isn’t just about having toys or “keeping busy.” It’s how a child makes sense of things that feel too big, too confusing, or too heavy to say out loud. But here’s the part people miss… a child can’t fully work through those things alone.

When a child plays by themselves, they stay inside the same story they already know. Same rules. Same outcomes. Nothing really challenges it.

What changes things is the relationship.

When a safe adult is present, steady, not taking over, not judging, not fixing… just with them… the child has a new experience while they play. Now they’re not alone in it. Now their world gets witnessed. Now something different can happen.

That’s when play stops being repetition… and starts becoming change.

It’s not the toys.
It’s who’s sitting across from them.

If I fixed his tower, I’d miss the whole point.He stacked it fast and too high, like he already knew it wouldn’t last… t...
04/28/2026

If I fixed his tower, I’d miss the whole point.

He stacked it fast and too high, like he already knew it wouldn’t last… then crash. No frustration. Just reset. Again. Same outcome.

It looks like bad building. It’s not.

Kids use play to show what they’ve learned about life. Sometimes that lesson is, “things fall apart,” or “I’ve got to handle it myself.” If I jump in and fix it, all I teach him is that I’m in charge and he needs me to get it right.

So I didn’t touch the tower.

I stayed with him.

Because in CCPT, the goal isn’t to improve the play. It’s to change what the child experiences while they’re in it. The tower falls, but I don’t step in, don’t correct, don’t leave. He gets to struggle, try again, and realize he can stay with it… and he’s not alone.

And that’s what actually changes things.
He starts slowing down instead of rushing.
He looks over instead of shutting people out.
He sticks with it instead of giving up.

Same tower. Different outcome inside him.

Kids don’t learn creativity by being told what to do.They learn it by being given space to explore, try, mess up, and tr...
04/10/2026

Kids don’t learn creativity by being told what to do.
They learn it by being given space to explore, try, mess up, and try again.

That’s what play does.

In play therapy, we protect that space—
where curiosity grows, confidence builds, and kids start trusting themselves.

Because that “love of play” isn’t extra…
it’s how they develop everything else.

That’s the work we do at The Mindfulness Studio. 🎨

She learned early that getting close came with a cost.So now she stands with her arms crossed, a few steps back from the...
04/04/2026

She learned early that getting close came with a cost.

So now she stands with her arms crossed, a few steps back from the group.
Close enough to watch. Far enough to stay safe.

If someone laughs, she rolls her eyes.
If someone invites her, she shrugs it off.
If things don’t go her way, she pushes harder.

It works.
People back up.
No one gets too close.

But that’s the problem.

Because underneath all of it…
she’s not trying to win.
She’s trying not to get hurt again.

In play therapy, we don’t take the bait.
We don’t argue with the defiance or try to break it down.

We stay steady.

“You don’t trust this yet.”
“You’re keeping your distance.”
“Part of you wants in… part of you holds back.”

No pressure. No pulling.

And slowly, the armor starts to feel heavy.

She tests it—just a little.
Lets someone closer.
Pulls back. Tries again.

Until one day, she’s not standing on the outside anymore.

Not because someone made her change.
But because she finally felt safe enough to. 🧩

You don’t build connection by fixing the moment.You build it by being in it.Down on the floor.Following their lead.Letti...
03/29/2026

You don’t build connection by fixing the moment.
You build it by being in it.

Down on the floor.
Following their lead.
Letting them be the expert of their world.

That’s where kids feel it—
“I matter… and you’re with me.”

In play therapy, that relationship is the foundation.
Skills grow on top of it.
Confidence grows out of it.
Change follows it.

Connection first. Everything else comes after. 🧩

This right here is where growth begins.Not in perfect behavior.Not in lectures.Not in getting it “right.”But in moments ...
03/23/2026

This right here is where growth begins.

Not in perfect behavior.
Not in lectures.
Not in getting it “right.”

But in moments like this…
where a child feels close, safe, and understood.

In play therapy, we don’t rush to fix.
We slow down and connect.

Because when a child feels truly seen,
they start to trust…
and when they trust, they begin to grow.

The relationship is the work. 🎨

Therapist: “That looks intense.”Your child: “Yeah… it’s been a week.”Kids don’t always talk about what’s bothering them....
03/08/2026

Therapist: “That looks intense.”
Your child: “Yeah… it’s been a week.”

Kids don’t always talk about what’s bothering them.
They play it out. 🧸

That’s why play therapy at The Mindfulness Studio helps children process stress, emotions, and everyday struggles in a way that feels natural to them. 💭🎨

Kids don’t always say what they feel — they play it.Child-Centered Play Therapy helps children process emotions, practic...
02/11/2026

Kids don’t always say what they feel — they play it.

Child-Centered Play Therapy helps children process emotions, practice self-control, and build problem-solving skills through the language they know best: play. It’s a structured, research-supported approach that meets kids where they are.

📍 The Mindfulness Studio | Dothan, AL
Reach out if you’re curious whether play therapy could support your child.

Address

200 Grove Park Lane Suite 100
Dothan, AL
36305

Opening Hours

Wednesday 9am - 1pm
Thursday 9am - 1pm
Friday 1pm - 5pm
Saturday 10am - 2pm

Website

https://headway.co/providers/anthony-coppage, https://dothanmindfulness.com/

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