Play Therapy Melbourne is a committed team of like minded clinicians working across Melbourne, Frankston and Geelong. We offer ongoing support and supervision in a caring environment which a focus on ongoing training and growth.
We believe in the precious value of children and the importance of the families that support them throughout their development. We believe in only offering the highest quality therapy and our values underpin our commitment to our children, families and community.
We are focused on providing evidence-based support, with a focus on improving the quality of lives and encouraging participation. We believe in contributing to the community and collaborating with parents, other health professionals and educators.
We aim to provide a nurturing, positive environment to encourage self-confidence and facilitate growth and learning through positive experiences. Through periodic review and evaluation we ensure we continue to provide the best outcome to meet the needs of children and families. We are a very small and collaborative team, however we are occasionally looking for new team members and our Intern program has Intakes twice a year.
Through our “Giving Back” Internship program we facilitate low cost or free child therapy sessions to families who would otherwise be without support, this is one of the cornerstones of our practice.
We put the child and family at the centre of everything we do and we are mindful of the privilege to be able to serve children and families in our community.
Child-centred play therapy is a systematic and evidence-based approach to counselling children. This form of play therapy has been in use for over 60 years and has a long history of efficacy in therapeutic work with children. It is well supported by extensive research.
Meta-analytic reviews (a powerful analysis that combines the results of many studies) of over 100 play therapy outcome studies (Bratton, Ray, Rhine & Jones, 2005; Leblanc & Ritchie, 2001) found that the overall treatment effect of play therapy ranges from moderate to highly positive effects. The review by Bratton and colleagues was conducted on 93 research studies, indicated that play therapy was effective across a variety of presenting issues. Non-directive approaches were found to yield better outcomes than therapist-directed play approaches. Additionally, positive treatment effects were found to be greatest when there was a parent actively involved in the child’s treatment.
The Centre for Play Therapy has created a database of play therapy research, as well as other play-focused modalities for children. Please visit their website for this resource.
For evidence-based research on the effectiveness of child-centred play therapy, the following book is available: Child Centred Play Therapy Research: The Evidence Base for Effective Practice, Jennifer N.Baggerly (Author, Editor), Dee C. Ray (Author, Editor), Sue C. Bratton (Author, Editor).
At Play Therapy Melbourne we have pledged to support a number of children each year through our Giving Back Program. Through it, we provide low or zero fee support to this children and families most in need. This program, which is supported by our wonderful interns, is the cornerstone of our practice.
Experiences of trauma are common and international studies suggest that between half to two-thirds of young people will have been exposed to at least one traumatic event by the age of 16 years. For young people in contact with the justice system, in the care of family and human services, from refugee backgrounds, working in armed forces or emergency services, from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander backgrounds, the likelihood of having experienced trauma is much higher.
Early intervention for the impact of trauma is critical, particularly in instances where mental ill-health onsets, or is exacerbated, as a consequence. However, many young people do not have an opportunity to access support. The waitlist for accessing low cost or free support from organisations can often be five months or longer. This is just not good enough.
If you are interested in the program or know someone who could benefit from it, please complete the following form as an expression of interest. While we may not be able to offer a full course of therapy to all applicants, we will endeavour to provide some level of support.
Through our Giving Back Program we aim to facilitate low cost or pro bono therapeutic support for a number of children every year. However our capacity is limited and unfortunately we are unable to support as many families as we would like to. We thank you for your understanding. If you are interested in supporting this program please contact us at admin@playtherapymelbourne.com
Our mission
We believe in your child
At Play Therapy Melbourne, we are a committed team of like-minded clinicians working across Melbourne and Geelong. We offer support and supervision in a caring environment, with a focus on ongoing training and growth.
We believe in the precious value of children and the importance of the families that support them throughout their development. We believe in only offering the highest quality therapy and our values underpin our commitment to our children, families and community.
We are focused on providing evidence-based support, with a focus on improving the quality of lives and encouraging participation. We believe in contributing to the community and collaborating with parents, other health professionals and educators.
We aim to provide a nurturing, positive environment to encourage self-confidence and facilitate growth and learning through positive experiences. Through periodic review and evaluation, we ensure we continue to provide the best outcome to meet the needs of children and families. We are a small and collaborative team. Twice a year, we accept interns into our intern program, which includes experiences of working in our Giving Back Program.
Through our Giving Back Program, we facilitate low cost or free child therapy sessions for families who would otherwise be without support. This is one of the cornerstones of our practice.
We put the child and family at the centre of everything we do and are mindful of the privilege we have in serving children and families in our community.
Play Therapy Melbourne are a dedicated team of clinicians who are passionate about children’s counselling and are committed to helping your child reach their full potential.
NDIS Approved Provider
Evidence based
A small dedicated team
Supporting families across Melbourne
Meet the team
The team at Play Therapy Melbourne are highly qualified specialists, who can help your child grow and develop.