Since 1995

The Hamilton Practice

Play Therapy Ages 2+
Parent Coaching

Schedule a free consultation!
Call or text (201) 744-6161

What we do for Children:

WHAT IS PLAY THERAPY?

Meet the TRIPLE Cs…

Connection + Containment = Change

Experts suggest that toddlers may hear the word “no” up to 400 times a day, due to developmentally appropriate exploration and safety restrictions.

At The Hamilton Practice, children enter a uniquely safe, permissive space designed just for them: a small room with a range of toys and art materials that invite their natural curiosity and imagination, while incorporating clear, consistent, and non-negotiable boundaries such as… THE TIME LIMIT!

In that sacred space, the child morphs into a movie director, improvising spontaneous role plays that empower them to process overwhelming feelings like fear, anger, and sadness so that they can voluntarily move on to healthier, more mature behavior.

Side effects include improved sibling relationships!

What we do for Parents

READY TO LEVEL UP?

Welcome to: Child–Parent Relationship Coaching (CPRC) at The Hamilton Practice.

Some children are clearly struggling across the board, while other children seem to hold it together all day… only to arrive home and take it out on you!

CPRC leverages the power of YOU being the MOST important person in your child’s life by putting you in the context that has made Child-Centered Play Therapy (CCPT) a global success in over 90 countries…

After 2 to 3 Parent Coaching sessions, you will begin conducting your own weekly 30 minute sessions with your child in our enchanting, Ogden Avenue play therapy space! (Cary will be in the wings…)

It’s not about “fixing” the problem.

It’s about relating to your child in a whole new way–a way that leaves power struggles in the dust!

Before Play Therapy

After Play Therapy

The Parent Space

FAQs

What's the best part of bringing my child to The Hamilton Practice?

Your child will be looking forward to coming back and your life will become easier. The directorial control your child experiences during sessions makes them more flexible, cooperative, and self-confident at home, at drop offs, and everywhere else.

Is lasting change really possible without my child talking about the reason they are acting this way?

The results speak volumes. One charismatic little boy had bitten nine other children at school. We never talked about the biting, but once I began working with him, he never bit another child again!

What should I tell my child before their first appointment?

Just tell your child you have something special planned for them and get them to my front door! Then sit back, relax, and let the healing begin!

Will my child think there is something wrong with them?

Children come up with their own, perfect understanding of why they come to The Hamilton Practice:

One mom reminded her 4-year-old of his next appointment, and he lit up: I know… for my NINJA training!

A 10-year-old after a few sessions commented: I know why kids come here… it’s to play with someone calmer than they are so they can have fun and spread out all their feelings…

How long does it take before my child starts to feel better?

One dad, whose daughter had a rare genetic condition, shared her teacher’s stunned reaction after just 3 sessions: You don’t understand. This is a different child. She is SMILING!

When marveling at the progress of her 4 year old son, one mom’s admission happily startled me: He totally stopped hitting us as soon as you started working with him!

My child doesn’t talk much yet. Can you still help them?

This may be the one place that children will never be told to use their words.

The Hamilton Practice is unique in specializing in play therapy for ages 2 and up.

Your child can be pre-verbal and still achieve lasting breakthroughs over the course of a few months.

How does billing work?

Play therapy is covered by insurance whereas Parent Coaching is not.

I am in network with Aetna, Horizon BCBS, and Anthem.

If you do not have Out Of Network benefits (OON) my standard fee is $200 and I accept all major credit cards, including FSA/HSA cards, through IVY.

Why do you specialize in play therapy and parent coaching?

So often, nothing is truly ‘wrong’ with a child who is struggling.

After seeing how quickly young children embrace CCPT, I decided to focus my efforts where I could do the most good.

Nothing makes me happier than the relief children and parents experience once they begin working with The Hamilton Practice.

Where will I be while the session takes place?

When you arrive, we’ll go upstairs together… While you sit on a nearby sofa, you’ll be separated by a puppet theater so your child can part the velvet curtains and peek at you at any time.

What if I need some peace and quiet while you meet with my child?

The Parent Self-Care Sanctuary is down the hall: a clutter-free room with an air desk, nap-friendly sofa, view of skyline, and your choice of art on the Samsung Frame TV.

What if my child doesn’t want to leave me to go into the playroom?

There is never any pressure on your child…

Drawing on the power of The Invisible String by Patrice Karst, your child can stay connected to you by a string long enough to reach from your heart (or hand or ankle) all the way into the play therapy space.

If they tug on it, you can give them a reassuring tug back.

What if my child realizes they want to come back to me before the time is up?

Sessions last UP TO 45 minutes, but your child is free to go back out to you at any time.

However, when they hear that once they step outside the door then the time is up for the day, most children choose to milk every last second.

Won't my child be reluctant to skip off into another the room with an adult they have just met?

I try to prepare parents for the lack of resistance, but one brave dad admitted that he still found it a bit unnerving when, just seconds after meeting me, his usually cautious son made a beeline for the play therapy space and never looked back.

How did you become bilingual?

After graduating from Haverford College, I spent the summer working at Concordia Language Village’s Spanish Immersion program.

I went on to become the only Spanish-speaking social worker at Northside Center for Child Development for 7 years.

Where did you grow up?

I grew up in Manhattan and graduated from The Spence School where I had the priviliege of studying with some of the best teachers of my life.

How do you prepare children to transition from the magic of the play therapy space back to the outside world?

Children are told: We have 5 minutes left to play… We have 1 minute left to play… then a timer on my watch goes off, and I announce: THE TIME IS UP.

With the simple press of a button, children silence the offending timer as they walk out the door.

Where we are

404 Ogden Ave, Jersey City

2 blocks from the Hoboken Elevator

Client Testimonials

Before Working with Cary:

Our 5 year old son had very big feelings and he’d express them very bigly… sometimes that meant slammed bedroom doors, sometimes worse. It was painful to watch him struggle, all the while our family struggled to main the kind of warmth and peace we’d always envisioned for our family.

After Working with Cary:

Post-Cary we see tremendous growth in our son. He’s more confident expressing himself, both verbally and artistically, and less prone to blow-ups. Even the occasional tantrum, when it hits, never seems quite so intense. What’s the sound of a door not slamming? It’s a quiet hug, a soft arm around a shoulder. Can’t recommend enough.

Father of a 5 year old

Before Working with Cary:

We were a busy family with a newborn and a toddler, struggling to navigate the challenging emotions of our three-year-old son, who was adjusting to being a new big brother.

Our son was experiencing multiple behavioral outbursts a day, fueled by anxiety and anger.

Working with Cary:

From our first interaction, Cary was amazing—knowledgeable, kind, and patient. She provided compassionate and understanding guidance.

She offered insightful, practical strategies and was a creative thinker who truly adapted to the unique needs of our family.

Cary’s accessibility was exceptional; she often made time for us on short notice, which showed how much she truly cared.

After Working with Cary:

In just a few months of Play Therapy, our son’s emotional regulation has transformed.

His behavioral outbursts have decreased dramatically from multiple times a day to only one or two per week.

He is calmer, better able to manage his anxiety and anger, and has made great developments in his social skills, interacting positively with his classmates.

We are so appreciative we found such a wonderful therapist and support for our son to help him through this developmental stage.

Mother of a 3 year old

Before Working With Cary:

I was at my wit’s end, balancing work and the emotional needs of my child, whose huge meltdowns and constant boundary testing frayed our nerves and brought out the worst in us. We were tired, resentful, and clueless.

Even at our intake, Cary was reassuring, validating, and confident. She saw the best in our child immediately, and helped contextualize his behaviors for us in a way that helped us feel instantly at ease and more capable.

Working With Cary:

Simple solutions like how to institute a timer effectively and how to empathically reflect his frustrations made our interactions less fraught. My husband feels more capable in holding a boundary without having to be “the bad guy.”

After Working With Cary:

We started to be on time for school! Dinner no longer devolves into tears! Our son was even described as “most improved” at his parents teacher conference.

I sometimes don’t understand how play therapy achieves all this, but he is undeniably better able to manage his emotions and we are less reactive.

Thank you, Cary!

Mother of a 4 year old

Before Working With Cary:

My daughter began play therapy with Cary in PreK3 after struggling to open up to adults or express her needs, despite being fiercely independent. At school, she wouldn’t use the bathroom, avoided eye contact with adults, and seemed painfully uncomfortable whenever my husband or I visited for her birthday and class visit—even unable to say goodbye to me in the mornings.

Working With Cary:

With Cary’s gentle guidance, she gradually began to trust and express herself, eventually inviting me into sessions and later on towards the end of her work replaying powerful rescue scenes that reflected her healing.

After Working With Cary:

By kindergarten, she began using the bathroom at school, participated in a school show in front of half the school with staff and parents, and then joyfully ran into my arms afterward—something I once couldn’t imagine.

I truly believe Cary’s work helped her find her voice and a sense of peace within herself. I’ll always be grateful for Cary’s compassion and the transformation she helped make possible. As her mom, I never wanted to dim her light—only to soften her edges—so she could stay exactly who she is, just with a little more ease.

The Hamilton Practice Legacy
From Mother to Daughter

After first having declined the invitation, in 1995 I decided to join my mother, Betsy Hamilton, at a 5 day Child-Centered Play Therapy (CCPT) training that would come to define the Hamilton Practice.

As my mother was fond of saying: There are no coincidences… only situations in which God chooses to remain anonymous.

That first step turned into a shared journey rooted in patience, humility, and a profound respect for childrens’ almost magical capacity to heal themselves.

CCPT is a radical departure from the socially conventional, friendly prompting that adults naturally default to in relating to children. As my mom and I practiced this new language…

Something remarkable began to happen...

Gigantic shifts took place. Children as young as 2 years old, even non verbal and highly physically aggressive children, started to have breakthroughs.

Time only deepened our respect for the model, as the miracles continued to unfold: parent-child bonds were restored… self-regulation emerged… sibling relationships improved… families found peace and harmony.

After decades of joyful collaboration, Betsy left her body in 2021, but she has been known to lead courageous and receptive parents to The Hamilton Practice, and she nudges Cary when to take their call on the spot.

Please stop blaming yourself or your child. When children “act out”, it doesn’t mean that you’re doing anything wrong. It’s just a sign that your child needs something to change and we can make that happen at The Hamilton Practice.

Book a consult and let the healing begin!

Meet Penny & Zoe!

Rescued from a home with 25 other dogs, these two gentle creatures are a “bonded pair” mother-daughter who hid in a travel bag for safety until they found their forever home on Ogden Ave.

Play-based parent coaching and related services are typically considered personal growth or educational services and are not tax deductible as medical expenses. In limited cases, if a licensed professional has recommended coaching as part of a treatment plan for a diagnosed condition, clients may wish to consult their tax advisor to determine if any portion could qualify as a medical or business expense. The Hamilton Practice does not provide tax advice and recommends that clients consult with their accountant or tax professional regarding their individual circumstances.