We are passionate about helping children resolve the challenges facing them in their formative years, and to assist them in successfully navigating their way through to adulthood with a positive and healthy attitude to life. We use 'Child-Centred Therapy' techniques which are premised on the belief that children have the internal drive to achieve wellness.
For parents, 'Life' can sometimes become so hectic that there is little time to sort out difficulties faced by their children, and before they realise it, a small issue can have grown into a giant problem. For kids, these issues could be related to
  • problems at school (bullying, learning difficulties, exam stress)
  • relationship problems with school-friends, teachers, siblings or parents
  • problems in the home, caused by alcohol, drugs or finances
  • self-esteem issues, and concerns over body changes during puberty;
  • feeling unsafe or the fear of being hurt
  • emotional issues, such as anger, depression and anxiety.
Counselling can help children cope with everyday worries by providing them with an opportunity to talk freely and safely, without fear of judgement.

Counselling

Counselling a child requires a relationship to be established between the child and the psychotherapist. Meeting away from home and school life, provides the child a safe environment to talk about their feelings without fear of judgement, and helps them understand what may have caused them to feel this way.
There are several counselling methods that may be used to encourage children to express their feelings better. The methods employed require age-appropriate communication skills which factor in the child’s situation and development. Whereas activities such as play, story-telling, drawing, painting or drama may help younger children better understand their emotions and express their feelings, older children may prefer talking therapy. No matter what methods are used, the aim of counselling for both children and adults is the same; to help the individual cope better with their feelings and to enjoy life again.

Play Therapy

Play Therapy is known to be highly effective in addressing difficulties children experience socially, emotionally and behaviourally. Without the skills to express themselves, children are prone to act out, become withdrawn, wet beds, have restless sleep, suffer anxieties, become angry and aggressive, back-chat, bully others, throw tantrums or become shy and clingy.
Play Therapy is a form of counselling that is specific to children between the ages of 3 and 12 years. Play is a child’s natural form of communication; and while still in the process of developing a vocabulary, children are often unable to find the words needed to express their inner thoughts and feelings. This can manifest itself in unacceptable or challenging behaviour. Through play in an accepting and non-threatening environment, children are provided the opportunity to explore their frustrations, or act out anxieties and traumas which they might find difficult to put into words.

Sandtray Therapy

Sandtray Therapy is possibly the least intrusive form of counselling for children, and although this is relatively new to Australia, it is a tried and proven method in many other countries. This counselling technique is a nonverbal, therapeutic intervention that makes use of a sandbox, toy figures, and sometimes water, to create scenes of miniature worlds that reflect the child's inner thoughts, struggles, and concerns. This form of play therapy is practiced together with talk therapy, using the sandbox and figures as communication tools.
Sand-tray therapy is often used with those who have suffered some form of trauma, neglect, or abuse. Although this method is especially well suited for working with young children, who often cannot express their inner feelings in words, it is also a technique that is helpful for some teens and adults who are having trouble expressing themselves .
Sandtray Therapy allows children to express their stories and emotions without the constraint of words. By providing a bridge between verbal and expressive therapies, this process is highly effective in reducing the emotional causes of difficult behaviour.

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