Playful Minds Therapy Services
At Playful Minds Therapy, we recognise that every child is different, and there is no single therapy pathway that works for all families. Some children benefit from direct therapy, while for others, the most meaningful change occurs through supporting parents and caregivers. For many families, a combination of approaches is most helpful.
Rather than beginning with a predetermined treatment plan, we start by developing a thorough understanding of your child, your child and family's experiences, and the challenges that have brought you to therapy. Together, we create a support plan that is responsive and flexible.
Child-Focused Parent Support
Supporting a child often starts with supporting the adults around them. Child-focused parent support sessions help parents/caregivers to:
- Develop a deeper understanding of their child's emotions, behaviours, development, and relationships
- Make sense of what may be driving challenges
- Strengthen connection, attachment, and relational safety
- Build confidence in responding to their child's needs
- Develop practical, developmentally responsive support strategies
- Support their child's growth and wellbeing in everyday environments
These sessions draw on attachment theory, child development, neuroscience, trauma-informed practice, and relational approaches. For some families, parent support is provided alongside child therapy. For others, it becomes the primary focus of support.
Child Play Therapy
For children aged 2–10 years, direct play therapy sessions are offered using play-based, creative, and developmentally responsive techniques, supporting them to:
- Express and explore emotions
- Strengthen emotional regulation
- Process difficult experiences
- Develop self-awareness and self-understanding
- Build confidence and resilience
- Strengthen social and relational skills
- Experience mastery, problem-solving, and growth
Sessions may be non-directive or gentle guided, depending on what best supports your child’s needs and goals. This flexible, responsive approach allows therapy to unfold at your child’s own pace in a way that is developmentally aligned.
Parent-Child Play Therapy
Sessions may focus on:
- Strengthening connection and attachment
- Building co-regulation skills
- Enhancing communication and understanding
- Increasing parental confidence and attunement
- Supporting emotional safety within the relationship
- Practising therapeutic strategies/responses together in real time
Parent-child therapy can be particularly valuable when strengthening the parent-child relationship is an important part of supporting a child's wellbeing and development.
Therapy Process
Intake and Assessment of Needs
The assessment phase typically occurs over a number of sessions and may include:
- Parent-only intake session(s)
- Initial parent-child play therapy session(s)
- Initial child play therapy session(s)
- Completion of screening tools where appropriate
This phase focuses on developing a deep understanding of your child and family. Together, we explore your child's strengths, relationships, developmental needs, and life experiences, as well as the factors that may be contributing to current challenges.
For some families, this may lead to ongoing child therapy but it is important to note that this is not always the case, and for some children the most appropriate support may remain primarily focused on parents and caregivers.
Co-Created Therapy Planning
Following the intake and assessment phase, a parent session is held to bring together what has been learned so far and develop a shared understanding of your child's unique strengths, needs, relationships, and experiences.
Together, we identify priorities for support and co-create an initial therapy plan. This may include child-focused parent support, parent-child therapy, child therapy, or a combination of approaches. Recommendations are guided by the unique needs of each child and family, rather than assuming ongoing child therapy is always the most appropriate pathway.
Therapy Over Time
While the initial assessment and planning phase helps identify priorities and determine a starting direction, understanding continues to deepen over time. As new insights emerge, therapy remains flexible and responsive to the evolving needs of the child and family.
Some families find that a relatively short period of targeted support is sufficient to address their concerns. For others, particularly where there are more complex needs, longer-term support may be beneficial.
Children's growth is supported not only through what happens in therapy sessions, but also through the relationships and experiences that shape their everyday lives. For this reason, the involvement of parents and caregivers is an important part of the therapeutic process, creating opportunities for growth and change that extend beyond the therapy room.
Next Steps
To find out more about Playful Minds Therapy, get in touch via the Contact page or email (admin@playfulmindstherapy.com.au). Click the button below to find out about our fees.