Heartlight Play Therapy · Kill, Co. Kildare
Play Therapy for Children in Kildare
Sometimes the most important words aren’t spoken. They are played.
Heartlight offers warm, child-led Play Therapy for children experiencing big feelings, anxiety, change or overwhelm. Based at Soearth Projects in Kill and welcoming families from Naas, Newbridge and across Co. Kildare.
Niamh Mullins
Experience you can see. Warmth your child can feel.
I am a child psychotherapist and play therapist, mindfulness teacher and neurodiversity specialist. I have worked with children for over 20 years and completed my psychotherapy training in 2011.
I have worked in private practice and schools, supporting children and families through play therapy. I also created and led the first play therapy projects bringing this work into school settings.
I bring creativity, mindfulness and nature into my work in ways that support calm, connection and each child’s own way of communicating and processing their experiences.
Core qualifications
- Degree in Psychology
- Master’s in Addiction Studies
- Postgraduate Diploma in Psychotherapy, specialising in Play Therapy
- Professional Certificate in Neurodiversity, UCD School of Medicine
- Child and Adult Mindfulness Teacher
Specialist training
- Filial Therapist
- Parent-Child Attachment Play Practitioner
- Baby Bonding Practitioner
- Level 1 Theraplay
- Level 1 Internal Family Systems
- Synergetic Play Therapy training
- Sandplay Therapy training
- Parents Plus Parenting Programme Facilitator
- Incredible Years Parenting Programme Facilitator
Professional memberships
- Accredited Member, Irish Association for Play Therapy & Psychotherapy
- Graduate Member, Psychological Society of Ireland
- Accredited Member, European Association of Integrative Psychotherapy
- Member, International Mindfulness & Meditation Alliance
- Fully insured with the Psychologists Protection Society
Interviews and features
Niamh has been interviewed on RTÉ Radio 1’s Claire Byrne Show and featured in The Irish Times, discussing play therapy and her work with children and schools.
Getting started
What to Expect
Four simple steps, so you know what happens and when.
Get in Touch
Email, call or text to tell me a little about your child and arrange an initial conversation.
Parent Meeting
We meet for one hour without your child to talk about their experiences and what you have been noticing.
Weekly Play Therapy
Your child attends a 45-minute session on the same day and at the same time each week.
Updates & Reviews
I send a brief parent update by text each week, and we meet after each block of play therapy to review how things are going.
Every child is different. Many children attend for around 15 weekly sessions, while some need fewer and others benefit from longer-term support.
Ready to take the first step?
Heartlight Play Therapy
Take a Look Inside the Playroom and Around Soearth Projects
Heartlight’s upstairs playroom is based at Soearth Projects in Kill, Co. Kildare. I bring play, creativity, mindfulness and nature together through sessions in the playroom and, when appropriate, nature-based play therapy and nature mindfulness on the beautiful grounds and in the Forest Garden.
Inside the playroom
Farm & Small-World Play
Children can create stories, explore relationships and make sense of everyday experiences through miniature worlds.
Puppet Play
Puppets can make it easier to communicate, try out different voices and tell stories at a safe distance.
Feelings & Expression
Feeling dolls help children notice, name and share emotions gently, in their own way and in their own time.
Imaginative Play
A varied collection of figures gives children space to choose characters, build stories and explore what matters to them.
Around Soearth Projects
Soearth Projects
A welcoming Creative Arts Therapy practice and wellbeing centre surrounded by gardens, woodland and open space.
Nature-Based Play Therapy
The grounds offer space for movement, sensory exploration, imagination and connection with the natural world.
Nature Mindfulness
Seasonal sights, sounds and textures invite children to slow down, notice and reconnect with their senses.
Life on the Grounds
The living landscape brings curiosity, calm and opportunities for gentle connection beyond the playroom.
Heartlight at Soearth Projects Hartwell Upper, Kill, Co. Kildare, W91 YF6H
Find Soearth Projects on Google MapsMindfulness with children
Creative mindfulness, sensory experience and nature
Children do not have to sit still or close their eyes to experience mindfulness.
I am an accredited Adult and Child Mindfulness Teacher, with training recognised by the International Mindfulness & Meditation Alliance. I have facilitated mindfulness groups and workshops with children in schools and community settings, using creativity, sensory materials, movement and nature to make mindfulness accessible and engaging.
I have often found that children who found it difficult to settle or close their eyes indoors felt safer and more at ease outside. Nature offered space, movement and a gentler way of noticing their bodies and surroundings. This continues to shape how I work with children at Heartlight.
Photographs from a creative mindfulness workshop I facilitated at Ronald McDonald House Charities Ireland. This was a group mindfulness workshop, not an individual play therapy session.
How Play Therapy can help
Children come for many different reasons
Heartlight Play Therapy is a nurturing and accepting space where children are welcomed in their own way of being, communicating and processing their experiences.
Every child’s story is different. You do not need to know exactly what is wrong before getting in touch. We can talk about what you are noticing and whether Play Therapy feels like the right support.
Ask about Play TherapyHelpful information
Frequently Asked Questions
Some of the practical things parents often want to know before getting in touch. Click on any question to read the answer.
What is play therapy?
Play therapy gives children a developmentally appropriate way to communicate and process their experiences. Instead of relying only on spoken language, children can use toys, stories, art, sand and imaginative play to express what may be difficult to explain in words.
Will my child have to talk about what is wrong?
No. Your child will never be forced to talk or explain themselves. They choose how they use the playroom, and I follow their pace and way of communicating.
What happens before my child begins?
We begin with a one-hour parent meeting without your child. This gives us time to talk properly about your child, what you have been noticing and what you hope play therapy may support.
How long are play therapy sessions?
Sessions last 45 minutes and usually take place on the same day and at the same time each week. This regular and predictable rhythm helps children feel safe.
How many sessions will my child need?
Every child is different. Many children attend for around 15 weekly sessions, while some need fewer and others benefit from longer-term support. We review this together as the work develops.
How will I know how things are going?
I send you a brief parent update by text each week. We also have a fuller parent meeting after each block of play therapy to review how things are going at home, at school and in the sessions.
Is play therapy suitable for neurodivergent children?
Yes. Heartlight is neurodiversity-affirming. The aim is not to change who your child is or teach them to mask. I work with each child’s natural way of communicating, processing, playing and regulating.
Where do sessions take place?
Sessions take place in the private upstairs Heartlight playroom at Soearth Projects, Hartwell Upper, Kill, Co. Kildare. When appropriate, nature-based play therapy and nature mindfulness may also take place on the grounds or in the Forest Garden.
Still unsure?
You are welcome to contact me before deciding whether play therapy is the right support for your child.