​Newcastle Play Therapy

Established 2016

After more than two decades as a primary school teacher working in classrooms and student wellbeing, I witnessed a growing number of children struggling with emotional and social challenges. Students experiencing trauma, anxiety, and neurodivergence were finding their mental health needs significantly impacting both their learning capacity and social development. This growing concern led me to discover Play Therapy—a specialised therapeutic approach designed specifically for children. Recognising its potential to transform young lives, I pursued advanced training through one of only two university programs available in Australia, earning my Master of Play Therapy from Charles Darwin University. Since establishing Newcastle Play Therapy in 2016, I have had the privilege of supporting hundreds of children and families navigating complex challenges, including:​

• Out-of-home care placement support

• School refusal and educational anxiety

• Medical trauma recovery

• Family separation and divorce adjustment

• Neurodivergent support and advocacy

• LGBTQ+ affirmative therapy

• Trauma and grief processing

• Abuse recovery and healing

• Physical disability adaptation

• ​Attachment work

• Child Parent Relationship Therapy Coordinator

• Life Story work​

My practice operates through a holistic, child centred model, partnering with diverse organisations and professionals including individual families, non-government organisations, the Department of Communities and Justice (DCJ), family support groups, early childhood centres, schools, and medical teams. I bring extensive experience and ongoing professional development in supporting children who have experienced trauma, those living in out-of-home care arrangements, children facing medical challenges, and neurodivergent young people. At the heart of my practice is a strengths-based approach that focuses on building self-esteem and confidence in every child. My goal is to empower children to not only overcome their challenges but to thrive socially and emotionally, enabling them to live their fullest, most authentic lives.

Through Play Therapy children

find their voice, process their experiences,

and develop the resilience needed to navigate life's complexities with confidence and hope.