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What is Play Therapy?

Play Therapy helps children heal through play. Children aren't always developmentally ready to communicate verbally what may be troubling them. A trained play therapist aides children to work through issues using play and toys as their medium. Play therapy can help with the below: - Behavioural and emotional struggles - Diagnosed disabilities - Trauma - Family separation - Anxiety - Sickness - Grief

Meet your Play Therapist!

Katy Lewis has a Bachelor of Honours in Early Childhood Studies (UK) and Play Therapy certificate. Her passion is to help children have the best start in life and heal through play. Katy has held various roles in recent years, such as a Residential Worker with youths; Play Therapist; Regional Manager including directing childcare services to an exceeding standard.

Session Information

The Play Therapy journey starts with a parent consultation without the child to discuss any concerns and gain information about the child. Katy works with children aged 2-12 years old. Sessions run for 50 minutes with a 10 minute period of note taking/cleaning up. Parents are encouraged to have an initial consultation then check-ins every 6-8 weeks. Weekly Play Therapy sessions are encouraged and depending on the child, they can participate in up to 30 sessions before ending their Play Therapy journey. Children usually work through 4 stages of play - it is the therapists role to gauge where the child is up too. The Play Therapist uses a range of skills with children in the sessions to progress them further in their play therapy journey. Katy is also happy to complete reports for NDIS clients or give information to other professionals supporting the child with parents/care givers consent.

  • Emerald Queensland, Australia

-Please send a brief description of presenting behaviours including if you are a private paying client or NDIS client. - Please note Katy is working limited hours at present but she will put you on a waitlist and contact you once a space comes available.

What are the benefits of play therapy?

Garry L Landreth who is internationally known for promoting child-centred Play Therapy states that children in play therapy learn:
- To respect themselves
- That their feelings are acceptable
- To express their feelings responsibly
- To assume responsibility for themselves
- To be creative and resourceful in confronting problems
- Self-control and self-direction
- To accept themselves
- To make choices and be responsible for them.

Should i ask my child about their therapy?

Just like adults, children deserve respect and confidentiality. The therapist will not discuss matters in front of the child, but rather wait until a parent consultation. If anything important occurred in the session, the Therapist may call the care giver at a private time after the session. 

Do i stay with my child?

The play therapy is usually 1:1 with the Therapist and the child. The parents can stay in the foyer area or once children are settled, parents are welcome to leave and pick the child up once the therapy session is finished. 

What should i tell my child about play therapy?

Let your child know it is a safe space for them to play and work through anything that may be troubling them. You can count your child down for the session and it may help showing them a photo of the play room or Play Therapist. 

What are the fees?

Katy accepts square payments (eftpos) or can invoice plan partners. All sessions are to be paid on the day after the session. There is a 24 hour cancellation fee. If for any instance the therapist cannot conduct sessions on the client's day, the client will be contacted and not charged. 

More information about play therapy?