POP Churches is our way of partnering with churches to meet the emotional and relational needs of families in their communities. From the very beginning of POP Therapy, many of us trained as Play Therapists out of love for the children we were serving in schools, and out of a clear vision that God had called us to bring His light into the darkness of family struggles. We believe Play Therapy is one of the ways God’s healing love can touch the lives of children and parents who are hurting.
Sadly, none of us are immune to the impact of mental health challenges. Access to NHS services is limited, and too many children wait far too long for support. That’s why partnerships between churches and therapeutic services matter so deeply. They create spaces of hope, safety, and timely help.
At POP Therapy, we are a limited company, not a charity, and that gives us flexibility. We commit a percentage of our income into church partnerships and use our administrative infrastructure to support fundraising alongside you. This allows us to walk with churches as they apply for grants, partner with therapists, and set up projects that serve local families.
Over the years, we’ve seen Christian Play Therapists and churches connect in beautiful ways — some already had therapists in their congregations, others discovered them later, and in some places we’ve helped connect the dots. In every case, it’s been about relationship, context, and listening to what God is doing locally.
We'd Like to Partner with Your Church!
Play Therapy in Partnership with your Church
Play Therapy in Your Building
Offer unused church space for private play therapy work, creating a welcoming environment where children can feel safe
Wellbeing Play Mentor Training
Equip your church volunteers with practical tools, including SandStory Skills, to support children’s emotional wellbeing
Coaching for Schools Engagement
Offering guidance and support for churches wanting to form strong, lasting partnerships with local schools through play therapy projects
POP Family Play Club Training
Bring families together using play by running a whole family after-school club to strengthen family relationships
Wellbeing Training Workshops and Supervision
Flexible, Relationship-Led Partnership
Just as Play Therapy is child-led, POP Churches is partnership-led. We don’t offer a one-size-fits-all model. Instead, we listen to the heartbeat of your church and your community. Your focus might be families in poverty, children impacted by domestic abuse, asylum seekers, or refugees — whatever the need, we want to come alongside you to shape something meaningful and sustainable.
What Churches Can Offer
Churches are uniquely placed to bring hope. A safe, welcoming space in your building can become a place where children feel seen, heard, and supported. Many churches have unused rooms during the week that could host Play Therapy, and we can help you find the right therapist, secure funding, and establish safeguarding and partnership agreements.
By opening your doors, you open the possibility of change for children who might otherwise wait years for help. You offer families not only therapy, but the reassurance that they are loved, that they matter, and that they are not alone.
A Faith-Centered Approach
At the heart of POP Churches is this message for every child:
You matter. You are loved. You are not alone.
Play Therapy in Partnership with Your Church
Together, we can bring light into the darkness by partnering with your church to provide Play Therapy for children and families in your community. This is a collaborative approach — applying for funding, matching with trained Play Therapists, and offering hope to families who might not otherwise be able to access support.
Who It's For
- Churches with a heart to meet emotional and relational needs in their community.
- Leaders who want to create sustainable, mission-led projects.
- Families who are unable to afford private therapy but desperately need support.
What's Involved
- POP Therapy works alongside you to identify local needs and funding opportunities.
- We help connect you with Play Therapists (from your congregation or wider area).
- Support with contracts, agreements, safeguarding, and ongoing oversight.
Benefits
- Serve vulnerable children and families in your community.
- Access grants and funding to make therapy affordable.
- Demonstrate your church’s heart for bringing joy, healing, and hope.
Practical Details
- Flexible partnership shaped around your church’s local context.
- POP Therapy provides administration and project support.
If your church longs to meet the emotional needs of families in your community, contact us to explore a Play Therapy partnership.
Play Therapy in Your Building
Your church can become a safe and welcoming place for local families by opening up unused space for Play Therapy sessions. In this option, the therapist rents the room directly and provides therapy to families who arrange support privately.
Who It's For
- Churches with unused rooms during the week.
- Leaders who want to see their buildings used as places of healing.
- Families who value a neutral, local space for therapy sessions.
What's Involved
- POP Therapy (or independent therapists) use your church building for private sessions.
- The therapist provides their own service directly to families.
- POP Therapy can share your available space with our therapist network.
Benefits
- A simple way to offer your building as a place of safety and welcome.
- Modest income stream for your church through room rental.
- Families gain access to therapy in a neutral, trusted community setting.
Practical Details
- Your church sets the terms of room hire.
- POP Therapy may help promote the availability of space to therapists.
If you’d like to see your building used for Play Therapy, contact us to explore making space available for local families.
POP Wellbeing Play Mentor Training
Equip your volunteers with practical tools to support children’s emotional wellbeing.
Who It's For
- Church members who want to work with vulnerable children.
- Volunteers or families with a heart for early intervention.
- Communities where children are struggling but not yet accessing formal therapy.
What's Involved
- A two-day training course (in your church or at one of our venues).
- Covers wellbeing play skills and SandStory Skills® for supporting children’s emotions.
- Provides practical strategies to use in schools, church programmes, or community projects.
Benefits
- Volunteers gain therapeutic skills that can support children in church, schools, and families.
- Early intervention for children who may otherwise “slip through the cracks.”
- Strengthens your church’s outreach and impact in the community.
Practical Details
- Two-day training, flexible format (face-to-face or hybrid).
- Courses also available at central POP Therapy training events.
Get in touch to book a training event for your church or to join our next course.
Coaching for Schools Engagement
We guide churches in forming strong, lasting partnerships with local schools through play-based projects
Who It's For
- Churches wanting to connect with schools but unsure where to start.
- Leaders or volunteers who want to build credibility and trust with educators.
What's Involved
- One-to-one mentoring or coaching to grow your ideas into reality
- Guidance on approaching schools, forming partnerships, and offering relevant projects.
- Support with applying for funding and training volunteers.
Benefits
- Clear action plans tailored to your church’s context.
- Confidence in building relationships with schools.
- Pathways to offer programmes like Wellbeing Play Skills or POP Family Club.
Practical Details
- Flexible mentoring packages.
- Can be delivered online or face to face.
Contact us to explore mentoring and discover how your church can build lasting school partnerships.
POP Family Club
A groundbreaking after-school club designed to strengthen family relationships through play.
Who It's For
- Churches wanting to bring hope and light into families’ lives.
- Volunteers passionate about seeing parents and children connect more deeply.
What's Involved
- A three-day training programme (mix of face-to-face and online).
- Teaches volunteers how to run whole-family clubs using neuroscience and attachment-informed activities.
- POP provides resources and ongoing support to make the programme easy to deliver.
Benefits
- Families reconnect through joy, laughter, and shared play.
- Provides an alternative to “drop-off” clubs — families participate together.
- Builds resilience, reduces isolation, and strengthens parent–child bonds.
Practical Details
- Can be run in schools, church halls, or community spaces.
- First club can launch with our support, then expanded by your team.
- Resources provided; bespoke training available for your church.
Bring joy and healing to families in your community. Contact us to find out more about POP Family Club training.
Wellbeing Training & Supervision
Bespoke hands-on workshops and creative supervision sessions that equip your church team to support children, families, and themselves. These sessions are designed to strengthen mental health awareness, build practical play skills, and lighten the emotional load for your staff and volunteers.
Who It's For
- Kids’ ministry teams who work closely with children every week.
- Pastoral care teams supporting families in crisis.
- Food bank and community outreach volunteers engaging with families in poverty.
- Foster and adoption support ministries.
- Any church staff or volunteers who need encouragement, tools, and safe space for reflection.
What's Involved
- Workshops: Tailored training for your church, available online or face to face. Examples include:
a. Play skills for kids’ teams.
b. Psychoeducation on how God made our brains and how safety helps children thrive.
c. “Storm to Safety” workshop for foster/adoptive families (4-hour format). - Supervision: Creative group or one-to-one sessions, helping your team process the challenges of working with families in trauma.
- Can be one-off or regular (monthly 1–2 hour sessions).
- A safe space to explore case difficulties, safeguarding questions, and the emotional impact of caring for others.
Benefits
- Strengthens your team with practical tools for supporting children and families.
- Creates a healthier, safer church environment.
- Reduces burnout by giving volunteers and staff somewhere to process and “hand over the heaviness.”
- Builds confidence in handling challenging situations with wisdom and care.
- Reinforces your church’s role as a safe, trusted place for families.
Practical Details
- Flexible: bespoke workshops designed around your team’s needs.
- Available online or in person.
- Supervision offered one-to-one or in small groups.
- Suitable for both volunteers and staff teams.
Give your team the gift of support and equip them to serve from a place of health and joy. Contact us to book a wellbeing workshop or supervision package for your church.
Pricing & Funding
We know every church and community is unique. That’s why we keep costs flexible and always look first at what funding might be available — so finances are never the barrier to families receiving the support they need.
Some of our options are partnership-based, where we work with you to apply for grants and seek funding together. Others are training or service-based, where there are clear costs for workshops, supervision, or resource packages. And sometimes it’s as simple as offering space in your building for Play Therapy to take place.
Here’s a guide:
1. Play Therapy in Partnership with Your Church:
We’ll work with you to seek grants and funding so that therapy can be affordable (or free) for families in need.
2. Play Therapy in Your Building
Room hire rates are set by your church. Therapists rent the space directly for private work with families.
3. Training & Workshops
From £350 per participant for two-day courses (group and partnership rates available).
4. POP Family Club Training
From £1,200 for a full team training package, including resources to launch your club.
5. Supervision & Mentoring
From £60 per hour, available one-to-one or in small groups.
6. Bespoke Wellbeing Workshops
From £250 for a half-day workshop, designed for your team’s specific needs.
Whatever the option, our heart is always the same: to help your church bring light into the darkness, joy into weary homes, and hope to families who might otherwise feel forgotten.
Contact us today to explore the right fit for your church and your community.
Whether you want to open your church building, train volunteers, partner with schools, or launch a family club, POP Therapy would love to walk alongside you. Together, we can bring light into the darkness, joy into weary homes, and hope to families in your community.
Contact Us
We’d love to hear from you. Reach us at:
info@powerofplaytherapy.co.uk
