FAQs

Our most asked questions.

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  • 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.

  • Yes, both self and plan managed NDIS participants are able to claim this service through their NDIS funding. As an evidence-based intervention that benefits the child in the context of their whole environment, it frequently meets Capacity Building goals in most NDIS plans.

  • I am more than happy to speak with your Child’s teacher or other health professional to discuss how the school can support the play therapy process. It can be very helpful to speak with other services involved to get a picture of how your child is doing educationally, emotionally, psychologically and socially. I will need written consent before speaking with anyone other than yourself.

  • Progress sessions occur every five standard sessions, where we meet to discuss the stage, themes and progress that I have observed during sessions with your child. We discuss how you can compliment the play therapy process outside of the scheduled sessions. We also discuss if the child’s presentation has changed since commencing of play therapy, and reorientate goals as appropriate. We do not discuss a child’s specific play or discussions as this can interfere with the child feeling free to express what they are feeling.

  • Depending on the child’s level of comfortability, the parent is welcome to join the first few sessions, with an aim to the child being able to comfortable enough to attend Once an established relationship between myself and the child has formed and they are confident to complete sessions without your presence, we ask that you wait in the waiting room, so that they can come and check should they become anxious.

  • Every child is unique. The frequency and duration of sessions depends on the goals of Play Therapy and each child’s individual circumstances. Often sessions commence on a fortnightly basis, but again numerous factors will contribute to determining the frequency of sessions. The duration of sessions is based primarily on the age of the child, but can vary on developmental stage and responsiveness during sessions. Where possible, I prefer to have a regular time set aside for you or your child. This contributes to the safety within the therapeutic relationship, as it offers predictability and consistency, which is fundamental in the Play Therapy Process.

  • For each session, your child and I select a variety of toys to play with. These may include toys for creative expression, toys for emotional release or toys for imaginative play. Initially toys of interest to the child are selected to build rapport and contribute to the therapeutic relationship. Toys are paramount to each session. They allow your child to express a vast array of feelings, create meaning from past or present experiences, discover their own strengths, practice self-control and develop self-understanding.

  • This is best guided by your child’s personality - but often honesty is the best policy! You can tell your child that they are coming to a shop down the street where they will meet a woman named Emily. In this building Emily has an office, but she calls it the ‘Playroom’. In the ‘Playroom’ there are lots of toys, where they get to spend time playing. If your child asks “but why?” (as most children do!), you might say something like “When things are hard at school, home, with friends or with things changing in our family… it can help to have a safe person to play and talk about these things with” - adapting the language and reason based on your circumstances.

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