Playful Minds Therapy Services
Our services are grounded in an integrative play therapy approach, drawing from Child-Centered Play Therapy, Synergetic Play Therapy®, AutPlay® Therapy, and Theraplay® principles. Our approach is informed by attachment and developmental theory, person-centred and systems theory, and contemporary neuroscience, ensuring each child and family receives support that’s both evidence-based and aligned to their unique needs.
Child Play Therapy:
For children aged 2–10 years, Child Play Therapy sessions provide a space to explore emotions, process experiences, build a positive self-concept and develop healthy coping, relational and regulation skills — all through the experiences of play. Sessions may be non-directive or gentle guided, depending on what best supports your child’s needs and therapy goals. This flexible, responsive approach allows therapy to unfold at your child’s own pace in a way that feels safe and developmentally aligned.
Parent-Child Play Therapy:
Parent–Child Play Therapy focuses on nurturing and strengthening the bond between parent/caregiver and their child through playful, attuned interactions. These sessions support connection, communication, and co-regulation and offer hands-on opportunities to practice strategies discussed during parent consultations.
Therapy can also consist of a combination of individual child sessions and joint parent–child sessions, creating a holistic approach that supports the child and their caregiver/s. The balance between these session types is thoughtfully tailored to your child’s developmental stage, needs, and therapy goals. This integrated approach helps children express and process their experiences through play, while parents gain deeper understanding, confidence, and connection in their relationship with their child.
How Can Play Therapy Help Your Child?
Benefits of Play Therapy
- Empowers children to problem-solve and develop coping skills
- Provides a safe space for children to express, explore, and process emotions
- Promotes self-acceptance, confidence, and empathy
- Strengthens the ability to form healthy, meaningful connections with others
- Builds developmental skills and core functional capacities
- Offers a safe and supportive environment to process trauma and challenging experiences
- Enhances emotional and body awareness and increases a child’s regulatory capacity
What You Can Expect
Intake Stage
Play therapy is a medium to long-term approach, and a thorough intake process helps lay the foundation for effective work. Intake is an integral part of understanding your child and family, familiarising your child with the therapy process, and building a trusting therapeutic relationship. While these are 'intake sessions,' it’s important to note that therapy begins from the outset and each interaction with your child and family is an important piece of the therapy process.
The intake process typically involves four sessions:
- A 90-minute parent/caregiver information-gathering session
- A parent–child play observation session
- An initial child-only play therapy session
- A 60-minute consolidation session with parents/caregivers to finalise therapy goals and plan next steps.
Ongoing Sessions
Therapy sessions are scheduled at a regular day and time and held weekly to begin with. We ask that the first four sessions remain weekly before considering a shift to fortnightly appointments, if circumstances require. Consistency plays an important role in effective play therapy, helping your child build trust, familiarity, and momentum in the process.
Each therapy session runs for approximately 45–50 minutes. As a medium- to long-term approach, play therapy often involves around 12 to 24 sessions. Some children begin to show meaningful progress within the first 12 to 14 sessions, while others benefit from a longer-term therapeutic journey to consolidate growth. The overall number of therapy sessions varies for every child, depending on their individual needs, goals, and circumstances.
Parent Involvement
Parent consultation sessions are an essential part of the therapeutic process and are designed to ensure parents and caregivers feel supported, informed, and actively involved in their child’s therapy process. Parent consultations are attended by the parent/caregiver only, are typically scheduled following every 5-6 child play therapy sessions and run for 60 minutes. These sessions are an important time to share updates, discuss progress, and provide guidance and psychoeducation related to your child's needs.
In Parent–Child Play Therapy, parent/caregivers are active participants in the sessions, while in Child Play Therapy, the therapist works one-on-one with the child while the parent/caregiver remains nearby in the waiting area.
Care Team Collaboration
Therapy may also involve collaboration with other allied health professionals and/or joint meetings with educators or teachers to help promote a holistic approach to supporting your child and to enable consistency in strategies, understanding, and support across your child’s different environments.
Next Steps
If you’re considering play therapy for your child, we invite you to reach out to Playful Minds via the Contact page or email (admin@playfulmindstherapy.com.au). We are here to answer your questions and guide you through the process. Get in touch with us today or click the button below to find out about our fees.