Frequently Asked Questions
How do I make a referral?
To make a referral please contact Sarah.
What ages do you work with?
Across the life span, working with children 2-17 years of age and their families and working with adults. The most developmentally appropriate intervention will be selected to meet the developmental needs of the client.
Do you work with children and young people who have an NDIS plan?
Play Therapy is an NDIS approved intervention, allowing individuals to access the effective and healing therapeutic powers of play as part of their plan. Sarah is trained in a number of therapeutic interventions that are supportive early interventions for children with developmental delays, autism and other disabilities. Sarah works with children, young people and adults, whilst not a registered NDIS provider, Sarah can work with self and plan managed participants.
What is a neurodiversity-affirming therapy?
Sarah is always seeking out training and expertise from other neuro-divergent practitioners in an attempt to increasingly learn how to be more neuro-diversity affirming. Neuro-diversity affirming therapy is a humanistic therapeutic process that validates a neurodivergent person’s experiences, confirms their lived experiences as important and real, and relies on the therapist’s dedication to improving both the individual’s life and the world surrounding them.
Do you work with people who have experienced trauma?
Yes. Sarah specialises in working with children, young people, and adults who have experienced trauma. She uses a range of trauma-informed approaches, tailored to each person’s developmental stage, needs, and nervous system.
For younger children, Sarah uses a Child-Centered Play Therapy approach, or Family Play Therapy that involves parents and carers as co-therapists to strengthen safety and connection. For older children and adults, she integrates EMDR, parts work (Resource Therapy), and expressive or body-based approaches to support healing and integration.
Therapy follows a three-phase trauma model: safety and stabilisation, processing, and reconnection and growth—helping people regulate, process experiences safely, and reconnect with their strengths and sense of self.
Sarah is also an Accredited Victims Services Counsellor in NSW, offering counselling for children and adults who have experienced or witnessed crime or violence. Learn more at Victims Services NSW.
What is EMDR Therapy?
EMDR stands for Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing and is a form of psychotherapy that was devised by Francine Shapiro in 1987 and originally designed to alleviate the distress associated with traumatic memories. It was originally named EMDR because it was the bilateral movement of the eyes that supported the reprocessing of trauma. Clinicians have found that it is not the eye movement alone that reprocesses memories but the bilateral movement. Sarah has engaged in specialist training to integrate EMDR with Play Therapy and has also trained in a special type of EMDR that is called Relational-Integrative EMDR. RI-EMDR is a powerful therapeutic approach that combines the proven effectiveness of attachment informed EMDR with the depths of Resource Therapy (advanced ego states - parts work) and Somatic/Polyvagal work. This is an incredibly effective therapy to heal those who have experienced relational wounds. Sarah is skilled in honouring and nurturing your wounded child parts, and finds working with parents own trauma has the most significant impact on future generations.
How many sessions are needed?
Depending on the therapeutic intervention and the individual and family needs, the length of therapy can vary. To begin with a 1 1/2 hour intake and assessment interview will be required to get a thorough over view of the individual and family needs. A recommended therapeutic treatment plan will be developed to meet you and your families needs. The length of treatment will be determined by the level of engagement by the individual and family and any current or historical trauma experienced.
What type of children benefit from play therapy?
Play therapy is appropriate for children 3 - 12 years of age, however can be used effectively with babies and toddlers and even in older children and adults who are developmentally delayed.
For older children and adolescents play therapy may look different and Sarah will often integrate a combination of play, expressive and talk based therapies as required.
Play therapy is suitable for children who have experienced grief, trauma, social problems, fears and phobias, anger issues, depression, illness or the illness of a loved one, anxiety, toileting issues, ADD, ADHD, Autism and attachment problems.
Is play therapy evidence based?
A meta-analysis found that play therapy showed statistically significant improvement in children with disruptive behaviours, internalizing and externalizing issues, academic progress, relationships, social issues, self-esteem, trauma, anxiety and impairment (Lin & Batton, 2015). Research has found that play therapy is an effective practice when working with children and even more effective when parents/carers are directly engaged. To read more about the evidence base of play therapy go to Evidence-based child therapy.
What is a play therapist?
A play therapist is a mental health professional who has received post-graduate training to work therapeutically with children using play. Play therapists provide an accepting and respectful environment for the child, that is non-judgemental and includes an agenda-less presence. It is this special therapeutic relationship that the play therapist forms with the child that allows them to fully accept the child from a place of curiosity and care that is based on the humanistic principles of non-judgement, authenticity and unconditional positive regard (Landereth, 2012).
What does my child do in the playroom?
Depending what modality we are using, children may engage in directive or non-directive play. Children will play with a variety of different toys and expressive materials that allow for self expression and experimentation. Children are allowed to play in most of the ways they choose, allowing them to play through what is relevant to them.
Do children learn anything in play therapy?
- to respect themselves
- that their feelings are acceptable
- to express their feelings responsibly
- to assume responsibility for themselves
- to be creative and resourceful in confronting problems
- self-control and self-direction
- to accept themselves
- to make choices and to be responsible for their own choices.
Landreth, G. (2012) - Play Therapy: The Art of the Relationship.
What is Sarah’s qualifications and professional registrations?
Sarah has a Bachelor of Social Work/Arts and a Master of Child Play Therapy. She is an Accredited Mental health Social Worker with the Association of Social Workers (AASW) and a Registered Play Therapist with the Australasia Pacific Play Therapy Association (APPTA). Sarah has full membership with EMDR Association of Australia (EMDRAA) and is also an accredited NSW Victim Services Counsellor. Sarah accesses ongoing professional supervision, training and maintains professional registration and standards in Social Work, Play Therapy and EMDR. Sarah holds all current Working with Child and Police Checks and serves as a mandatory reporter.
Professional Membership:
Member of Australian Association of Social Workers - AASW# 474766
Member of Australasia Pacific Play Therapy Association - APPTA # 18056
Full Member of EMDR Association of Australia - EMDRAA
NSW Victim Services Counsellor - VS# A2795