SF Bay Play Therapy by Karen Wolfe, MFT

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SF Bay Play Therapy by Karen Wolfe, MFT

Play therapy for children and families and Hand in Hand Parenting support. Specialty in children with exceptional sensory, learning, and social skills.

Therapy and coaching for children, families, and adults in SF and the East Bay. Specializing in supporting children with learning and sensory differences. Therapy from a wellness model in which the goal is optimal living and relationships. www.SFPlayTherapy.com

07/08/2026

This Monday in **Little People, Big Feelings Parent Club**:
**Setting Limits Without Losing It**

Saying “no” can be hard — especially when it leads to tears, anger, bargaining, or a full meltdown.

In this drop-in recurring parent support group, we’ll look at how to set limits that are both firm and loving, so your child feels guided without you needing to yell, threaten, or give in.

Monday, July 13
12–1pm PST
Zoom
*2-week FREE TRIAL!

We’ll make lots of space for *you* — the guilt, fear, anger, doubt, or old memories that can make limits feel so hard to hold.

You don’t have to do this alone.

Comment **LIMITS** and I’ll send you the free trial and registration link!

Limited to 6 parents
First group free! then $97/drop-in

VIP Membership — $97/month, includes 2 parent clubs each month plus 10+ hours of my Skool parenting workshops!!

This is more than a parenting class. It’s a supportive community where you can bring your real-life parenting struggles, connect with other parents who get it, receive guidance, and learn practical Hand in Hand Parenting tools to reduce power struggles and build more connection at home.

Led by **Karen Wolfe, LMFT** — child and family therapist of over 20 years, Certified Hand in Hand Parenting Instructor, Founder of SF Bay Play Therapy Family Counseling Center, and mom of a preschooler.

In isolation, parenting can feel overwhelming and lonely. In connection, we can find courage, clarity, and support.

Come find your village.

06/26/2026

Tantrums don’t always have to become full-blown meltdowns.
In this clip, you’ll see Niko have a big reaction after I set a limit. Instead of rushing to stop his feelings or changing the boundary, I stay calm, give him a moment to work through what he’s trying to do (fixing the chair leg), and then gently redirect him.

The whole interaction took less than two minutes.

When we’re in these moments, it can feel like they’ll last forever. But often, when we meet our children where they are while staying clear and confident in our limits, they can move through those big feelings more quickly than we expect. Not every tantrum will end this way, but these moments are opportunities to build regulation, not just stop behavior.

This is exactly what we’ll be exploring in our next Little People, Big Feelings Parent Club session: Tears, Tantrums, and Big Feelings

We’ll talk about how to understand your child’s emotional storms, respond without escalating them, and navigate what comes up in *you* when your child cries, screams, or falls apart.

The best part: your first class is FREE.
Just email [email protected] to get your coupon code.

I’d love to have you join us!

06/18/2026

Connection-based parenting doesn’t mean saying yes all the time.
Sometimes it looks like taking a deep breath, holding a loving limit, noticing your own anxiety, and staying present while your child slowly finds calm.
I shared a real, unedited moment of me trying to meditate with my son that shows exactly this. It’s messy, imperfect, and a reminder that co-regulation isn’t about getting our kids to be quiet, it’s about lending them our calm while holding the boundary they need.
If these are the kinds of conversations you’re craving, that’s exactly what we explore in Little People, Big Feelings Parent Club. We take the hard moments of everyday parenting and turn them into opportunities for connection, confidence, and support.
I’d love to have you join us.

50% of off your first class! Just email me at [email protected]

06/05/2026

Do you ever feel like parenting is just… too much? 😮‍💨

The endless needs. The mental load. The worrying. The decision fatigue. The feeling that everyone needs something from you and there’s nothing left for yourself.

You’re not failing. You’re overwhelmed.

Our first Little People, Big Feelings Parenting Club session is all about Parenting Overwhelm—because sometimes what parents need most isn’t another parenting strategy. It’s support.

Together we’ll explore:
✨ Why overwhelm happens
✨ The hidden feelings underneath it—guilt, resentment, loneliness, fear
✨ How being heard and supported can help you show up with more patience and connection

You don’t have to carry it all alone.

📅 Every other Monday
🕛 12–1 PM PST
💻 Virtual

Because little people have big feelings—and so do parents. 💛

Learn more:
https://www.sfbayplaytherapy.com/littlepeoplebigfeelingsparentclub.html

05/28/2026

✨ Welcome to our Orinda office! 🏡

Ever wonder what actually happens in a play therapy room? Come take a tour with me!

From dress-up costumes and puppet theaters to sand trays, kazoos, and a LOT of slime — every single item in this room has a therapeutic purpose. 🎭🪄

Play is the language of children. And this space was designed to help kids (and families) work through big feelings, build connection, and heal — all while having fun.

👉 Whether your child is navigating anxiety, big emotions, medical trauma, or just needs a safe space to be themselves, play therapy meets them exactly where they are.

💬 Drop a comment below — what surprised you most about the playroom? Or what questions do you have about play therapy?

📍 SF Bay Play Therapy — Orinda Office
🔗 Link in bio to learn more or book a consultation.

MentalHealthForKids TherapyRoom ParentingTips ChildPsychology FamilyWellness

05/22/2026

If you’ve ever walked away from a conversation with a teacher, co-parent, or family member wishing you had spoken up differently, this workshop is for you.

“Speak Your Truth: Standing Up for Your Parenting” is a supportive, experiential evening for parents who want to feel more grounded, confident, and clear when advocating for themselves and their children.

This space is especially welcoming to neurodivergent, trans, creative, and outside-the-box families, though all parents are welcome. Come practice finding your voice in a warm and supportive community! We would love to see you.

05/15/2026

🎈 Take a little tour of our play therapy office!

Play therapy is a form of counseling that helps children express feelings, process experiences, and build emotional resilience through the language they know best — play.

Through toys, art, movement, storytelling, and connection, children can safely work through anxiety, big emotions, social challenges, grief, trauma, and family changes in a supportive environment.

At SF Bay Play Therapy Family Counseling Center, we are passionate about helping children and families strengthen connection, confidence, and emotional well-being through evidence-based, relationship-centered care.

To learn more about the powerful benefits of play therapy, visit the Association for Play Therapy (APT), the leading professional organization dedicated to play therapy education, research, and resources:
👉 www.a4pt.org

Learn more about our practice and services here:
👉 www.sfbayplaytherapy.com

📍Serving children, teens, and families in the San Francisco Bay Area.

04/26/2026

Here’s a real moment from my day… 💛

My 4-year-old has been a lot today—and honestly, I’ve been feeling overstimulated and needing space.

At music class, he was all over the place and I found myself setting limit after limit. By the time we got to the car, we were both pretty maxed out. Then he tripped, fell, and started crying way bigger than the scrape.

At first, I stayed back, taking a moment to regulate while my husband helped him. He kept asking for a bandaid over and over.

Then I stepped in and asked if he wanted me to hold him.

I just held him quietly while he cried.
He’d look at his hand, I’d gently say, “Yeah… you hurt your hand,”
and he’d melt back into me and cry some more.

No fixing. No rushing. Just staying close.

After about 5 minutes… he was calm. We got in the car and moved on.

✨ This is Staylistening.
✨ This is what it can look like in real life—not perfect, not polished, just present.

And it’s not always easy to do this alone.

If you’re craving a space where you can show up honestly like this—messy moments and all—and connect with other moms who get it…

I’d love to invite you to join our Hand in Hand Parenting Village 💬
A place where we share, learn, and support each other in real, grounded ways.

You don’t have to figure it out by yourself 🤍

Comment VILLAGE for more info

04/18/2026

What Staylistening actually looks like

The video below is a beautiful example of what Staylistening actually looks like with a young child. Watch this video and bring all your feelings about it to our group on Monday so we can work on all that comes up around being in connection with our children when they are dysregulated. The work of parenting by connection is deep and intense, but well well worth it for healing our own past hurts as well as supporting healthy attachment with our children

Monday at 12pm PST is our first Hand in Hand Parent Village!!

We will be focusing on supporting parents of children with BIG feelings! Come and get support for the hard work of parenting you do every day! Comment for more info!

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DWwVVMyjYwk/?igsh=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ==

Address

3655 Grand Avenue
Oakland, CA
94610

Website

http://www.sfbayplaytherapy.com/

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