“Toys are children’s words and play is their language”
Gary Landreth
Humanistic (1:1) Play Therapy
Sometimes, children experience things before they have the words to describe them. Other times, it’s hard for them to explain their feelings. Humanistic Play Therapy provides a safe and supportive space for children to express themselves and make sense of their experiences through a comforting and familiar medium – play!
The beauty of Play Therapy lies in its developmental sensitivity. For children, play is their first language - it’s how they naturally express emotions and explore their world. Humanistic Play Therapy meets children where they are, honouring their innate strengths and drive toward mastery.
Humanistic Play Therapy is a child-centred, non-directive approach. The child chooses how and what to play, while the Play Therapist facilitates healing through the therapeutic relationship and specialised skills. This gives children the opportunity, time and tools to explore their challenges and foster a secure sense of self.
Play Therapy is an evidence-based therapy, with substantial research showing that it makes a real difference for children. Studies, including large-scale meta-analyses, found significant reductions in common issues such as anxiety, depression, impulsivity, social difficulties and academic struggles. Widely used in the UK and US, it is increasingly gaining recognition in Australia as a highly effective way of working with children that has long-term positive outcomes for interpersonal interactions and psychosocial functioning.
At Growing Us, Play Therapy is a collaborative and holistic journey that includes caregivers as essential partners. Every 6-7 weeks, we hold Progress & Parent Support Sessions where you can ask questions, hear about your child’s progress in therapy and learn strategies to support your child’s emotional needs at home. Families engaged in Play Therapy also receive a 10% discount to Circle of Security Parenting™, an internationally renowned program designed to help caregivers gain a deeper understanding of children’s fundamental attachment needs.
Who is Play Therapy suitable for?
At Growing Us, Play Therapy is available for children between the ages of 3 and 10 who may be experiencing a range of challenging emotions and circumstances, such as:
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Excessive worry or intense fears of specific objects or situations.
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Difficulties managing and expressing emotions in a healthy and safe way, resulting in outbursts or impulsivity.
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This may include neglect, physical or sexual abuse, exposure to domestic or community violence, bullying, medical trauma or natural disasters.
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Coping with the death of a loved one, loss of a pet or other significant losses that are difficult to process.
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Adjusting to major changes such as moving, family separation, school transitions or a new sibling.
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Challenges with school adjustment, learning, friendships or social communication.
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Struggles with self-acceptance, being assertive, persisting with challenge or engaging in new experiences.
Play Therapy is also beneficial for neurodiverse and disabled children, including Autism Spectrum Disorder, Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, Selective Mutism or developmental delays.
Directive Play Therapy
Play Skill Support
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Learn to Play Therapy supports children who may find it challenging to self-initiate or join in pretend play.
Pretend play, often called “thinking play,” involves using imagination to create stories, roles and scenarios - like the scenes you’d see on Bluey! This type of play helps children practise problem-solving, sequencing, role-playing and using objects imaginatively. Pretend play is linked to cognitive growth, language development, self-regulation and social skills.
For some children, Learn to Play Therapy can serve as a helpful foundation for Humanistic Play Therapy, as it enhances the child’s pretend play skills so that they can more readily play out their issues symbolically through the toys.
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Learn to Play Therapy helps children build confidence and develop the skills needed to engage in pretend play independently or with others, if they choose to. While the focus of this modality is on pretend play skill support, it honours the value of all types of play, ensuring that children’s preferences and natural ways of playing are respected.
This modality can be especially helpful for children aged 2–8 with language delays, developmental challenges, Autism, ADHD or difficulty engaging in play with peers.
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Learn to Play Therapy helps children develop pretend play skills. With a strengths-based and joyful approach, the therapist models skills and supports the child in play activities, focusing on:
Creating simple play stories, such as “going to the shops.”
Putting play actions in logical order.
Using one object to represent another, such as a box as a car.
Talking about what is happening during play.
Pretending to be different characters.
Including dolls or teddies in the play.
Introducing small problems in play, like a car breaking down.
Playing make-believe games with others.
At first, the therapist leads the play to teach these skills. As the child becomes more comfortable, they start to lead the play, with the therapist supporting them. This approach helps children build confidence and enjoy playing with others.
Filial Therapy
Parent-Child Therapy
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Filial Therapy is a unique form of Play Therapy where parents and carers are supported to use therapeutic play skills with their own children. This approach empowers caregivers to become the primary source of therapeutic support, helping to create meaningful and lasting change within the family.
Developed in the 1960s by Dr. Bernard and Dr. Louise Guerney, Filial Therapy has a strong evidence base and is widely recognised for its effectiveness in strengthening parent-child relationships and addressing social and emotional challenges.
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Filial Therapy is designed for families with children aged 3 to 12 years. It is particularly helpful for children experiencing anxiety, challenges with emotional regulation, attention difficulties or major family transitions such as separation or loss. It is also ideal for families looking to deepen their connection and improve communication.
The therapy involves at least one parent or carer in all sessions, with children participating in select sessions.
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Filial Therapy can be tailored to each family’s unique needs. The process generally begins with an intake and assessment phase, where the therapist gets to know the family and helps set shared goals for therapy. Parents or carers then participate in training sessions where they learn specific therapeutic play skills.
Once caregivers feel confident with these skills, they engage in one-on-one play sessions with their child with the therapist’s support. These sessions allow the therapist to provide guidance and encouragement as caregivers build their confidence in reading and responding to their child’s emotions in play. Over time, caregivers integrate these skills into daily life, creating a more harmonious and connected family environment.
Filial Therapy is a collaborative and empowering process that helps parents and carers understand what their child may be communicating through play. It strengthens the parent-child relationship, fosters emotional growth and equips families with the tools to navigate challenges together.
This approach is deeply rewarding for both children and their caregivers, as it nurtures a greater sense of trust, understanding and connection within the family.
So how does this work?
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Referral Process
The first step is to submit your details in a Referral Form. This is an opportunity for you to share about your child and family. Following this, I will be in touch to discuss how Growing Us Play Therapy might be able to support you. You’ll have the chance to ask me anything you’re curious about, and if we’re aligned, we’ll proceed to the next step.
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Intake Meeting with Parent/Carer
Next, we’ll kick off with a Parent/Carer Intake Meeting on Zoom. You will be provided an Intake Form to complete beforehand. In this meeting, I’ll gather information about your child and family, including their developmental, medical and play history. This helps me create a therapeutic ‘plan’ that is personalised to your child and family.
Initial Assessment Session
After this meeting, we’ll schedule your child’s first session at Growing Us Play Therapy. The purpose of this session is to familiarise them with the environment, establish rapport, develop a warm and friendly relationship and gain a deeper understanding of their unique strengths and areas for support. Standardised and non-standardised assessments may be used to enable monitoring of progress.
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Child/Family Play Therapy Sessions
Next, we’ll proceed with weekly or fortnightly Play Therapy sessions, held on a consistent day and time. It takes an average of 20 sessions for most children to reach their therapeutic goals (Carmichael, 2006; Landreth, 2002).
Progress & Parent Support Sessions
Approximately every 6 weeks, we’ll have a Parent/Carer Update Meeting. This is an opportunity to share how things have been going at home and school, receive updates on your child’s progress in therapy and discuss any skills or suggestions to support their needs (and yours) at home. Progress Reports can also be provided upon request in accordance with the Fee Schedule.
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Discharge and Generalisation Planning
When the time comes, we’ll plan a careful and meaningful ending to therapy. This decision is made together, based on your child’s progress and needs. In our final session, we’ll discuss any further recommendations or next steps to ensure you feel fully safe and supported as you move forward.
