Play Therapy & Parent Coaching in Bangalore
I’m Anya Reddy, a Certified Synergetic Play Therapist and PCI® Certified Parent Coach based in Bangalore.
I provide Play Therapy for children and teenagers aged 3–17 and Parent Coaching for parents and caregivers, with sessions available in person in Bangalore and online across India and internationally.
My work supports children experiencing emotional overwhelm, anxiety, behavioural challenges, trauma, relational stress, and difficulties navigating change, while helping parents respond with greater clarity, confidence, and connection.
A Different Way of Understanding Children
If you’re here because something about your child has changed — perhaps they seem more anxious, overwhelmed, withdrawn, angry, reactive, or disconnected — you may be wondering what is really going on underneath the behaviour.
I see children's behaviour as communication.
Rather than focusing only on changing what a child is doing, I work to understand what the child may be experiencing and create a therapeutic relationship in which they can explore, express, process, and develop new ways of responding.
For parents, this often means having a space to better understand their child's needs while also developing practical ways of supporting connection and regulation at home.
When Families Reach Out
Families come to me for support with concerns such as:
Anxiety, fears and worries
Emotional overwhelm and big feelings
Anger, frustration and emotional reactivity
Behavioural challenges
School-related difficulties
Social difficulties and peer relationships
Bullying and its emotional impact
Changes in family circumstances
Relational difficulties between parents and children
Low confidence or withdrawal
Difficulty expressing or communicating emotions
Adjustment to stressful or significant experiences
Every child is different. Therapy therefore begins with understanding the individual child, their relationships, their environment, and what they may be communicating through their behaviour.
Services
Play Therapy for Children & Teenagers (Ages 3 - 17)
Play Therapy provides children with a developmentally appropriate way to communicate and work through experiences that may be difficult to express through words alone.
I work individually with children aged 3–17, using approaches including Synergetic Play Therapy, Child-Centered Play Therapy, creative expression, therapeutic storytelling, sand play, art, movement, music, drama, puppets and other forms of play.
Online Play Therapy
Children do not need to be physically in the same room as me for therapeutic work to take place.
I offer online Play Therapy for children and teenagers, adapting the therapeutic environment and materials to make online sessions engaging and developmentally appropriate
Parent Coaching
Sometimes the most meaningful change begins with supporting the parent-child relationship.
As a PCI® Certified Parent Coach, I work with parents to better understand their child's behaviour, identify what may be happening beneath the behaviour, and develop responses that support connection, regulation and cooperation.
Filial Play Therapy
Filial Play Therapy brings parents more directly into the therapeutic process, helping them develop specific play-based skills for strengthening their relationship with their child.
Nature-Based Play Therapy
Nature can provide children with additional opportunities for sensory exploration, creativity, movement, regulation and connection.
I incorporate nature-based approaches where they are clinically appropriate for the child and therapeutic process.
Who I Work With
Children & Teenagers
I work with children and teenagers aged 3–17, including children who may be experiencing emotional, behavioural, relational or adjustment difficulties.
Parents & Caregivers
I also work directly with parents and caregivers through Parent Coaching, particularly when they want to better understand their child's behaviour and strengthen their relationship with them.
Families in Bangalore & Beyond
Sessions are available in person in Bangalore and online across India and internationally.
Why Families Choose to Work With Me
What makes my work distinctive is that I hold both sides of the family system at once.
As a Play Therapist, I work directly with children through their natural language of play.
As a PCI® Certified Parent Coach, I also support parents in understanding their child's behaviour and developing more connected ways of responding.
This means that the child's therapeutic experience and the parent's experience do not have to exist separately. Where appropriate, I can help parents understand what may be happening for their child while also supporting them in finding practical ways to respond outside the therapy room.
My approach is:
Trauma-informed and nervous-system aware
I consider the ways stress, safety, relationships and regulation can influence how children experience and respond to the world around them.
Neurodiversity-affirming
I aim to understand children within their individual developmental and sensory profiles rather than expecting every child to fit the same behavioural template.
Relational
The therapeutic relationship is central to my work, as is the relationship between children and their caregivers.
Culturally sensitive and non-judgmental
Families bring different cultures, values, experiences and expectations into the therapeutic space.
Strengths-based
I look beyond difficulties to understand children's existing capacities, interests, relationships and resources.
My Professional Work Beyond Private Practice
My work extends beyond my private practice, across paediatric oncology, corporate parent support, and one-to-one parenting conversations.
Play Therapist — Kidwai Memorial Institute of Oncology
I was selected by the Department of Pediatric Oncology at Kidwai Memorial Institute of Oncology (KMIO), Bengaluru, to introduce play therapy services for children undergoing cancer treatment.
My work involves supporting children in processing hospitalisation, medical procedures, treatment-related stress, grief, loss and disruption through developmentally appropriate play therapy.
I have also developed and presented a proposal outlining the role of play therapy in supporting emotional regulation, coping and psychosocial wellbeing within paediatric oncology, and collaborate with multidisciplinary healthcare professionals to explore how therapeutic play can be integrated into patient care.
This work contributes to the development of a structured psychosocial support model within a paediatric oncology setting.
Parenting Resident — Circle by CRED
I am a Parenting Resident on Circle by CRED, a platform enabling one-to-one conversations between select CRED members and Residents across areas including relationships, parenting, wellness and careers.
I provide 1:1 conversations focused on parenting, child behaviour, emotional development and parent-child relationships, bringing my professional experience in play therapy and parent coaching to parents navigating everyday parenting challenges.
Parent Coach (Consultant) — Humm Care
As a Parent Coach (Consultant) with Humm Care, I deliver webinars and one-to-one coaching sessions for working parents through corporate wellbeing programmes.
I support parents in strengthening connection, emotional regulation and confidence in their parenting, and have worked with employees from organisations including Google, Accenture and Wipro.
My Qualifications & Professional Training
I’m a:
Certified Synergetic Play Therapist — The Synergetic Play Therapy Institute
PCI® Certified Parent Coach — The Parent Coaching Institute
Postgraduate Certificate in Trauma Stress Studies — Trauma Research Foundation
Psychological First Aid — Johns Hopkins University
Art-based Therapy Certification — Indian Institute of Psychology & Research (IIPR)
B.A. in Psychology & Music — Bharati Vidyapeeth University
Diploma in Liberal Education — Foundation for Liberal & Management Education (FLAME)
I have also undertaken professional training in areas including Nature-Based Play Therapy and therapeutic storytelling, and regularly engage in clinical supervision and continuing professional development.
[Learn More About My Background →]
What Does Play Therapy Look Like?
Play is how children naturally explore their world.
In Play Therapy, toys, stories, art, movement, sand, music, puppets, imagination and other forms of play can become ways for children to communicate experiences that may be difficult to put into words.
Rather than asking a child to simply tell me what's wrong, I create a therapeutic space where they can communicate in ways that are natural to them.
Over time, this can provide opportunities to develop emotional awareness, explore difficult experiences, practise new ways of responding, build a stronger sense of self, and experience a therapeutic relationship in which they feel understood.
[Learn More About Play Therapy →]
What Parents Say
"Choosing Play Therapy and choosing Anya was one of the best decisions we ever made for our child."
— Parent of a 10-year-old, Singapore (Online Play Therapy)
"There's a visible softness now in how he processes situations, and we feel far more supported in understanding his emotional world."
— Parent of child attending Play Therapy, Bangalore
"Parenting feels more natural, grounded, and connected than it once did."
— Parent Coaching client, Bangalore
Speaking, Media & Professional Work
I have been invited to speak on play therapy, child development and children's emotional wellbeing at institutions including IIT Madras and Indira Gandhi Institute of Child Health, Bangalore, as well as other educational and professional settings across India.
My work and perspectives have also appeared in publications including Happiest Health and Our Bangalore, and I have participated in podcasts and professional conversations including Tantrums to Triumphs and LonePack Conversations.
[View Speaking, Media & Professional Work →]
Frequently Asked Questions
What age children do you work with?
I work with children and teenagers aged 3–17.
Do you offer Play Therapy online?
Yes. I offer online Play Therapy for children and teenagers, as well as in-person sessions in Bangalore.
What is the difference between Play Therapy and Parent Coaching?
Play Therapy involves direct therapeutic work with the child. Parent Coaching works directly with parents to help them understand their child's behaviour and strengthen their relationship and responses.
Do you work with parents as well as children?
Yes. Alongside individual Play Therapy, I provide PCI® Parent Coaching for parents and caregivers.
Where are sessions held?
I offer in-person sessions in Bangalore and online sessions for families in India and internationally.
[View All FAQs →]
Not Sure Where to Start?
You don't have to know exactly what kind of support your child needs before reaching out.
If you're noticing changes in your child's emotions, behaviour, relationships or overall wellbeing — or you're finding yourself unsure how to respond as a parent — we can start by understanding what's happening and considering what kind of support may be appropriate.
[Book a Consultation]
[Contact Anya →]