At the moment, all of our therapy spaces are full as we are thoughtfully supporting the children currently in our care. If you feel we’d be a good fit for your family, you’re welcome to add your child’s name to our waitlist—and we’ll be in touch as soon as a space becomes available.
Our Services
At Sunshine Coast Child Play Therapy we recognise that every situation is unique. We strive to get to know each child and family’s individual context, and tailor an approach to meet their needs. Below are the main areas of support we provide.
'Learn to Play' Therapy
Humanistic Play Therapy
Filial 'Family' Therapy
Why Play Therapy?
Play Therapy is a well-regarded, evidence-based, and trauma-informed method of psychotherapy for children and young people aged 3-12 years of age. Putting our feelings and thoughts into words can be difficult for even us adults and so, as play therapists, we provide children with the opportunity to talk to us in their language- play!
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The ability to understand a child’s play has been akin to having a key into their world. In the safety of the therapeutic relationship and environment, Play Therapy builds upon a child’s inner strengths and resources, and provides a developmentally appropriate way for us to enter and understand how a child views themselves and experiences the world around them. In turn, this can allow us to uncover the core of the difficulties they may be experiencing and assist them in finding healthier ways to communicate their needs and feelings. It can also foster a greater sense of security and self-esteem, whilst increasing their emotional intelligence and resilience.
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Play Therapy is a highly skilled and specialised approach, widely used in the UK and US. It is quickly gaining recognition in Australia as an effective intervention and therapy for a range of childhood emotional, behavioural, developmental, social and/or psychological concerns. Research conducted into the effectiveness of Play Therapy shows just how powerful this approach is for bringing about change. Meta-analyses of over 200 Play Therapy studies showed significant reductions in common childhood mental health issues including impulsivity, anxiety, depression, social issues and academic issues. Research has also found that the overall treatment effect of Play Therapy ranges from moderate to highly positive. A medium to large effect size indicates that Play Therapy has a clinically relevant effect.
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'Learn to Play' Therapy
Learn to Play Therapy is a practical, interactive and directive intervention for children who, for whatever reason, find it difficult to pretend play. It aims to assist children with their ability to spontaneously self- initiate their own play, and to develop pretend play skills that are to or near the expected developmental level for their age. This can then enhance a child's ability to engage in play with their peers. Learn to Play therapy engages the children within the sphere of their interests and their developmental strengths, so that play becomes joyful and meaningful.
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As your child grows in their pretend play skills you may begin to notice benefits such as:
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an increase in their understanding of emotions
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an increase in social skills
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using more language
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using different thinking strategies (creativity, problem solving)
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more able to sequence ideas in a logical order
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an increase in confidence
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an increase in their understanding of context, as well as cause and effect
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being happier to play with others and independently.
Learn to Play may be suitable for a variety of children aged 2-8 years who have mild deficits in pretend play skills, children with learning difficulties, language delays, developmental delays, Autism and/or ADHD.
Humanistic Play Therapy
Humanistic Play Therapy utilises the Therapeutic Powers of Play (Schaefer & Drewes, 2013) and the therapeutic relationship to enhance a child’s social, emotional and mental wellbeing, through a non-directive, child-centered and child-led approach. This approach empowers the child, allowing them to set the pace for their own therapy journey, resulting in long lasting and meaningful change. Play Therapy generally takes place at the same day and time each week, in a playroom of carefully curated play materials that facilitate exploration, creativity, emotional expression and symbolism. Whenever a child comes to Play Therapy, the materials are always set up in the same manner, as this consistency offers a feeling of safety to the child. This is important to enable the best opportunity for a child to ‘play out’ their life experiences in a way that seeks mastery.
Humanistic Play Therapy is best suited for children between the ages of 3-12 years who may experience social, emotional, behaviour and/or learning difficulties such as:
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Anxiety
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Autism Spectrum Disorder
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Trauma
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Significant life events/ changes
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Social communication difficulties
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Poor self-esteem/ self-confidence
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Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder
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Grief and/or loss
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Family separation
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Difficulties with self-regulation
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Fears and phobias
Filial Therapy
Filial Therapy is a psychoeducational approach, combining elements of family therapy and play therapy to build and strengthen the parent-child relationship through play. Filial Therapy is focused on supporting parents/ carers to become the therapeutic agents for change, allowing children to receive the support they need from those closest to them. Parents/ carers are trained and supported to facilitate ‘special play times’ that are non-directive and therapeutic in nature. This can increase parental skills and confidence, reduce negative relational issues, increase positive interactions, and improve the understanding parents/ carers have for their children. Over the past 40 years there has been substantial research into Filial Therapy, with meta-analyses showing Filial Therapy that incorporates the primary caregiver into the therapeutic process to be the most effective form of Play Therapy (Lin & Bratton, 2015).
Filial Therapy can be used as both a prevention and intervention and is suitable for families with children between the ages of 3 to 12.
It may be suitable for families who are experiencing challenges such as:
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Anxiety
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Single or step parenting
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Attachment/ relationship problems
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Divorce
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Family reunification
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Attentional problems
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Toileting difficulties
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Emotional regulation issues
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Traumatic events
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Behavioural problems
"I would highly recommend Katelyn from Sunshine Coast Child Play Therapy. Katelyn has worked with our son over the past 6 months and we have noticed a huge amount of growth in his self-confidence, emotional development and social skills. Being a mobile play therapist was perfect for us as a busy family and meant Katelyn could see our son in the safety of his home. Play Therapy with Katelyn became the highlight of his week. Katelyn was also able to support our son’s kindergarten teacher with strategies and provided some great suggestions and tools to support us as parents. We would highly recommend her services!"
J.M- Sunshine Coast