Schools & Early Childhood
For schools
Social and emotional wellbeing program
Play Therapy Melbourne can provide an eight-week social and emotional wellbeing group therapy program in schools and organisations across Melbourne.
Schools and organisations find groups advantageous because:
- children who may not be able to attend external counselling can often attend group therapy at school
- children who may otherwise reject individual counselling will often attend group therapy because their peers are there, and
- children whose parents/carers cannot afford individual therapy can often afford group therapy.
Support children with the transition to school
School readiness program
The aim of this program is to support children with their transition to primary school. School entry involves a key transition for all children. This transition is not just to school, but from home, childcare, preschool and kindergarten. It is a transition from small-scale to large-scale interactions, from highly personalised to less personalised relationships, and from environments with a limited range of ages to an institution with children of many ages. It is also a transition to a different learning, education and care paradigm.
How well children are prepared for this transition is important as it impacts on their long-term outcomes. In our clinic work every year we see an influx of children who have not transitioned well into prep.
Primary audience: children transitioning to prep.
Additional training and support are available for parents, educators and other early childhood professionals.
Delivery mode: direct model.
We use an approach that builds on existing skills and knowledge. This program has been created with input from a multi-disciplinary team of allied health practitioners (counsellors, psychologists and occupational therapists) and is implemented by accredited mental health professionals and qualified educators who work with children in a group setting to support the transition into school. The program focuses on enhancing and supporting children’s communication, language, social and emotional wellbeing, access and inclusion.
We are offering our School Readiness programs across all locations throughout 2022.
Support children with the transition to school
Brain power program
The Brain Power program supports children, educators, and families by providing presentations and collaboration, mentoring and coaching opportunities with qualified therapeutic specialists who are guided by the understanding of interpersonal neurobiology and the nervous system.
This program will be delivered across Kindergartens from 2023.
Social and emotional wellbeing program
Learning outcomes
Learning Outcomes for this 10-week program meet the five broad areas of social and emotional learning (SEL) as defined by the Victorian Education Department.
Self-awareness
Identifying and recognising emotions; recognising personal interests and strengths; and maintaining a well-grounded sense of self-confidence.
Self-management
Regulating emotions to handle stress, control impulses and motivating oneself to persevere in overcoming obstacles; setting and monitoring progress toward the achievement of personal and academic goals; and expressing emotions appropriately.
Social awareness
Being able to take the perspective of and empathise with others; and recognising and appreciating individual and group similarities and differences.
Relationship skills
Establishing and maintaining healthy and rewarding relationships based on cooperation and resistance to inappropriate social pressure; preventing, managing and constructively resolving interpersonal conflict; and seeking help when needed.
Responsible decision-making
Making decisions based on a consideration of all relevant factors, including applicable ethical standards, safety concerns and social norms; the likely consequences of taking alternative courses of action; and evaluation and reflection.