Supporting Your Child’s Emotional Health Through Creative Expression
At The Whole Family, we know that not every child can put their feelings into words. Children speak through play, art, and imagination, and it’s our job, as part of your village, to listen, understand, and help them thrive. Our Expressive Play Therapy is a gentle, evidence-based approach designed to help your child communicate, explore, and heal using their natural language of play.
What is Expressive Play Therapy?
Expressive Play Therapy is a trusted, child-centred approach that offers children a safe space to express complex emotions and experiences. Through creative play, symbolic expression, and therapeutic art activities, children learn to navigate their inner worlds, guided by the supportive presence of a trained clinician.
Expressive Play Therapy effectively helps children experiencing:
- Anxiety and depression
- Trauma, grief, and loss
- Emotional regulation difficulties
- Behavioural challenges
- Social and peer-related struggles
- Adjustments to family changes, separation, or transitions
Meet Mary, Our Expressive Play Therapy Clinician
Mary is a Registered Counsellor known for her warmth, compassion, and extensive expertise in child-centred expressive therapies. Using sand play, imaginative role-play, drawing, and storytelling, Mary creates an atmosphere of trust and emotional safety. Her work is deeply informed by trauma and attachment theory, providing the gentle support children need to explore and process their feelings in their own time and in their own way.
Supporting Your Village: An Integrated, Family-Centred Approach
We believe meaningful change happens when families are supported together. While your child engages in therapeutic sessions with Mary, parents and caregivers can receive parallel guidance from our Clinical Psychologist, Stacey. These sessions empower you to:
- Understand the emotions behind your child’s behaviour
- Develop practical, effective parenting strategies
- Support your child’s emotional needs consistently at home
- Foster a cohesive approach between therapy and everyday family life
By working closely with families, we ensure the growth your child experiences in therapy extends beyond our rooms and into your everyday lives.
Expressive Play Therapy and the NDIS
Expressive Play Therapy sessions with Mary are fully accessible through NDIS-funded supports for children who are self-managed or plan-managed. Our team is here to assist you in navigating this process and ensure your child receives the care they deserve.
Taking the Next Step
If your child is facing emotional or behavioural challenges—or if your family is navigating significant change—Expressive Play Therapy provides a nurturing and effective pathway forward.
If you are unsure as to whether Expressive Play Therapy may be a more effective option than psychology, the following questions can help to provide some clarity:
- Does your child struggle to talk about their thoughts or feelings, especially when they’re upset or anxious?
- Does your child often express themselves more easily through play, drawing, or storytelling rather than words?
- Have you tried psychology (or talking therapy) in the past, but found it difficult for your child to engage or benefit?
- Does your child display big emotions or behaviours that seem hard to understand, even when they can’t explain what’s wrong?
If you have answered ‘yes’ to one or more of these questions, it is a strong indicator that Expressive Play Therapy may be an effective and developmentally appropriate path to explore for your child.
We’re here to support your family every step of the way. Contact us today to book an intake session or learn more about how we can help.
Because in our village, every child’s emotional well-being matters.
