• Home
  • The Playroom
  • Contact us
  • Supervision
  • Fees
  • Referral Form
  • More
    • Home
    • The Playroom
    • Contact us
    • Supervision
    • Fees
    • Referral Form
  • Home
  • The Playroom
  • Contact us
  • Supervision
  • Fees
  • Referral Form

What is Play Therapy, and who is it suitable for?

Play Therapy is an evidence based social and emotional intervention and is developmentally appropriate for children aged between two and eleven years of age. We offer a range of theoretical models including Child Centered Play Therapy, Theraplay, Filial Therapy and Autplay Therapy. We support children who are experiencing:


  • Aggressive, oppositional and acting out behaviours
  • Adoption, foster care or out of home care issues
  • Anxiety
  • Attachment issues
  • Childhood depression
  • Chronic Illness and Hospitalisation
  • Grief & Loss
  • Trauma including birth and pre birth trauma
  • Peer Relationships
  • School difficulties
  • Selective Mutism
  • Self Esteem & Identity Issues
  • Sibling Conflict


Play Therapy can also be a highly effective adjunctive treatment for the social and emotional difficulties which can arise when a child has been diagnosed with a neurological, biological or organic disorder (Cochran et all 2010: 6). We also support children experiencing:


  • ADD & ADHD
  • Autistic Spectrum Disorder (subject to assessment)
  • Speech problems
  • Developmental Delay

Services

Child Centered Play Therapy

Child led play, grounded in Person Centered Theory. Children are supported to understand their emotions and experiences and outcomes include increased self esteem, improved emotional understanding, reduction in maladaptive behaviours and increased resilience. Parents and carers are an important part of this process and are essentially a co-therapist outside the playroom. 

 

Parent Programs

A 10 week parent program to support improved child parent relationships through home based play sessions. A program for parents wanting to reflect on their parenting and learn new ways to communicate with and understand their child. 


Directive Play Therapy and Autplay Therapy

Therapist led games and role plays, aimed at targeting specific areas needing support and development including social skills, emotional literacy, communication and resilience. 

Theraplay

Play Therapy using Theraplay techniques, an attachment focussed therapy for children and their parents or caregivers. Targets nurture, engagement, structure and challenge within the relationship. This therapy can be suitable for babies, toddlers and, children including those with a Global Developmental Delay or ASD diagnosis. 

Supported Playgroups

Supported playgroups with small numbers to help children aged 2-5 with social, emotional and cognitive development. Autplay Group Programs are also available for children with an Autism Diagnosis. Please contact to join the waiting list or to register your interest. 

About Me

Sarah Bush

Sarah is a Registered Clinical Psychotherapist and Registered Play Therapist Supervisor with many years of experience working across a range of settings, including Education, Mental Health and Community Services across Australia. 


Sarah has worked in a remote community in the Northern Territory and in Government and Private Sector Organisations, providing a range of services including teaching, support and therapeutic roles. Sarah has worked as a Play Therapist since 2017 and has an ongoing commitment to further study and professional learning. She uses a range of treatment models in Play Therapy, including Child Centered Play Therapy, Autplay Therapy, Theraplay techniques and Sandtray Therapy. Sarah completed her Master of Play Therapy qualification, with a thesis that looked at the benefits of Child Parent Relationship Therapy with families of children who had experienced Trauma. Sarah has experience supporting children with a diagnosis of ASD, ADD, ADHD, GDD and ODD who are participants of the NDIS. She values the important role families and carers play in children’s growth and development and enjoys helping families learn and develop new skills to support their children through co-regulation and therapeutic parenting. 


Sarah works closely with a network of professionals providing developmental and mental health supports, and can support families trying to navigate systems as well as offer supports to other professionals working with individual children. 


Qualifications and Training: 


  • Bachelor of Early Childhood Education
  • Master of Play Therapy
  • Sandtray Therapy Training 
  • Level 1 Theraplay and MIM 
  • Child Parent Relationship Therapy Training 
  • Registered Play Therapist Supervisor (APPTA) (PTPA)
  • Registered Psychotherapist PACFA- Clinical

Professional Registrations

FAQ

What does Play Therapy cost? 


Please visit the fees section on this website. 


Can I claim any rebates through Medicare or Private Health?


You cannot access any Medicare rebates for Play Therapy. Some Private Health funds cover mental health services and you are welcome to contact your fund to see if they cover Play Therapy from a Registered Play Therapist and/or a PACFA Clinical Psychotherapist. If you prefer to access a Medicare rebated service, we are happy to provide you with some alternative services you can access under a Mental Health Care Plan and you can visit your GP to ask for this.  


My child is eligible for NDIS, can you offer any services for them?


Yes, both self and plan managed NDIS participants can be eligible for Play Therapy.  


Are there any other ways I can pay?


We accept referrals from third parties such as Government Departments, Not for Profit Organisations, Return to Work and Insurance Companies. In this instance, you will not have an out of pocket expense and sessions will be limited to the funding capacity of the third party. 


How long does a session take?


Sessions are booked for either 45 or 60 minutes each. Child sessions are either 30 or 45 minutes in duration, depending on the service and child’s age, session bookings allow 15 minutes for room reset and clinical notes after your child has left. We never write notes while your child is in the room as this impacts the therapeutic relationship.


Who attends appointments?


This depends on your individual needs and the type of service you are accessing. Our first session is always a parent/caregiver and therapist only session as we need time to discuss your concerns in detail, without your child present.

During Child Centered Play Therapy sessions, the parent or caregiver is usually not in the room unless the child needs settling. Although these sessions are child focussed, parents and carers are a vital part of the therapy process. If coming into the playroom is too much of a challenge for your child, we will never force them to come to come in. Instead we look at other options to help your child engage and will support you with this. We schedule seperate parent/carer support sessions to provide feedback on your child's progress and also to provide strategies for you to use at home to compliment your child's therapy. These run for 30, 45 or 60 minutes depending on your needs. 


Child Parent Relationship Therapy does not involve your child coming to sessions, instead you come along to learn skills and strategies to then implement at home.  


Theraplay sessions are usually with the child and the parent/carer together, in the therapy room and with the therapist. 


Can you talk with my child's school or other professionals?


Yes, we are happy to extend our support to schools and other professionals working with your child. Any meetings, reports or letters provided will be billed accordingly.  


What happens if I need to cancel an appointment?


If you need to cancel or reschedule an appointment, please let us know as soon as you can. Any cancellations made within 24 hours of your scheduled appointment will be charged at the full session fee. Because we run appointments to a schedule, we will always start and finish at the same time unless otherwise negotiated with your therapist. 

Click here for fees


Privacy Policy

Confidentiality and privacy is very important to us. We collect information about you when you complete our contact form. This includes your name, email, phone number and other information you choose to provide. We recommend that you only provide your contact details and a brief query to protect your privacy. We require your name and contact information to follow up on your enquires. This information is provided to authorised administration personnel only and is provided to us through our domain and website host. This information is emailed to our administrator and is stored on a password secured account and device. We delete this information periodically and will advise you of any changes to this privacy policy. If you prefer not to have your information sent through our website host, we recommend that you email us directly.

Contact Form

Attach Files
Attachments (0)

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.



Copyright © 2022 Child and Family Play Therapy - All Rights Reserved.


This website uses cookies.

We use cookies to analyze website traffic and optimize your website experience. By accepting our use of cookies, your data will be aggregated with all other user data.

Accept