The Namu Approach
Namu (나무) means "tree" in Korean.
For me, it represents roots, growth, and the essential need for a secure base. Just as a tree flourishes at its own natural pace, every child has an innate capacity to heal and grow when they feel safe, accepted, and understood.
This philosophy shapes how I work:
Child-Led & Non-Directive: I follow each child’s lead with warmth and attunement. Children are free to choose how they use the space and express themselves through play.
Holistic & Integrative: Rather than focusing on a single behaviour, I consider the whole child—their emotional wellbeing, relationships, sensory profile, and communication style.
At Namu Play Therapy, I meet each child where they are. My role is not to shape who they should become, but to offer a safe, accepting and non-judgmental space where they feel free to explore, express themselves and grow in their own unique way, at their own pace—just like Namu, a tree growing naturally in its own time.
Why Play Therapy?
Children don’t always have the words to express how they feel or make sense of their experiences. Play offers another way to communicate.
Through toys, sand, art, movement, stories and imagination, children can explore and express thoughts, feelings and experiences in a developmentally appropriate way.
Play can also create a safe distance from difficult feelings or experiences. A feeling might belong to a puppet, a story may unfold through miniature figures, or an experience may emerge through a picture or sand world. Children do not always need to explain or fully understand everything they create for their play to be meaningful.
Within a safe, accepting and consistent therapeutic relationship, children are given the freedom to explore and express themselves at their own pace and in their own way.
“Toys are children’s words and play is their language.”
— Garry Landreth
Is Play Therapy Evidence-Based?
PTUK clinical outcomes
Play Therapy UK reports evidence gathered from more than 100,000 clinical cases, 1.4 million therapy sessions and 63,000 outcome measures.
Across this dataset, 72% of children showed positive clinical outcomes, rising to 82% among children identified as having higher levels of need before therapy.
These outcomes have remained consistent across more than two decades of measurement within PTUK’s integrative holistic model of play therapy.
*Higher need is defined by PTUK as a pre-therapy Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire Total Difficulties Score of 20 or above.
Research findings describe outcomes across groups of children and do not guarantee a particular outcome for every individual child.
Source: Play Therapy UK – Evidence, Research & Measurable Impact
As Belfast becomes increasingly culturally diverse, I believe it is important that therapeutic practice is sensitive to the different cultures, languages, beliefs and experiences that children and families bring with them.
At Namu Play Therapy, I aim to understand each child within the context of their family, culture and community.
My practice includes:
- Play therapy in English or Korean
- Respect for cultural and religious values
- Awareness of culturally and community-specific experiences and stressors
- Respect for different family structures, traditions and ways of relating
My aim is to offer a welcoming and inclusive therapeutic space where each child and family feels respected, understood and accepted.
Culturally Sensitive Play Therapy in Belfast
Reach out today to schedule a play therapy session tailored to your child’s unique needs and help them thrive emotionally.