Welcome to
Playful Steps Children's Therapy
Child Play Therapy, Early Intervention Family Support & Educational Consultancy.
Supporting children and families... one step at a time.
At Playful Steps Children's Therapy, children and families are supported to develop skills, express their feelings, work through difficulties and explore their world through play. With a passion for helping children connect and thrive, Cathi creates time and space for them to grow and heal in a safe and supportive environment.
Vision
Cathi aims to empower children to explore, express, and resolve emotions through play. Her goal is to create a safe and inclusive environment where each child feels valued and understood, enabling them to communicate their needs and thoughts, build resilience, enhance social-emotional skills, and achieve personal growth. She strives to connect and collaborate with families and communities to promote emotional wellness, ensuring that every child has the opportunity to thrive and reach their full potential.
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I would like to acknowledge the traditional custodians of the lands from where I am joining you from in Berwick Victoria, the Bunurong/Boonwurrung people. I pay my respects to their Elders, both past and present. I acknowledge Aboriginal people as Australia's first peoples and as the traditional owners and custodians of the land on which we work, live and play.
Everyone is valued at Playful Steps Children’s Therapy. I aim to provide spaces and programs that are inclusive and supportive and want clients to feel a sense of belonging regardless of race, gender, identity, age, sexual orientation or ability.
About
Meet Cathi
Cathi has worked in the Early childhood industry as a Teacher, Inclusive Support Teacher and Advisor for over 30 years. Two years ago, she moved into the Early Intervention space where she has loved having the opportunity to work with individual families and support children through therapy sessions. She also enjoys weekly visits Early Childhood Services and Schools to provide support and advise from an Allied Health perspective. She has completed a Masters in Child Play Therapy at Deakin University which has offered a unique perspective and understanding on how children express and process their emotions through play.
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Cathi believes connection with children is the first step to understanding and meeting their needs to support them to grow and heal.
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Her qualifications include:
Master of Child Play Therapy (Deakin University)
Bachelor of Special Education (Monash University)
Diploma of Teaching Early childhood (Melbourne University)
Children's Yoga Teacher Training
Cert IV in Training and Assessment
Lego Facilitator Training
Sand Tray Therapy Training
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Cathi has professional registration with:
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The Victorian Institute of Teaching
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Play therapy Practitioners Association​
Playful Steps Children's Therapy specialises in using play therapy, family therapy, and group therapy to address a range of developmental, emotional, and behavioural challenges in children. Cathi is dedicated to understanding each child's unique needs and creating personalised treatment plans to support their well-being and growth. She is committed to fostering positive and lasting changes in children's lives.
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As a keyworker in the Early Childhood space Cathi acts as the primary point of contact for a child and their family, connecting all services supporting the child, providing therapy sessions to support development, introducing new services as needed and ensuring that the participant's needs are met through the implementation of their NDIS plan.
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Playful Steps Children's Therapy also offers educational consultancy to early childhood services and schools to support building capacity of teachers around inclusion and meeting the needs of all children.
Introduction to Play Therapy
Dr Dee C Ray introduces play therapy for parents.
Play therapy is a developmentally appropriate, evidenced based approach, in which a trained therapist provides a permissive and safe environment for children to explore their inner world, thoughts and emotions. There is a focus on the relationship to ensure children feel heard and understood and work through their difficulties through play, the natural language of a child.
Keyworker Role
As an Early Childhood Keyworker/ Specialist Teacher/ Play Therapist Cathi
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Creates and coordinates individualised plans: She helps develop and tailor NDIS plans to meet the child's specific goals and needs.
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Liaises with service providers: Cathi collaborates with various service providers (e.g., therapists, educators, support workers) to ensure all supports are in place and being delivered effectively, calling in therapists for consultations as needed.
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Advocates for the child and family: She can assist in navigating the NDIS system, ensuring the child receives the services and supports they are entitled to.
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Monitors progress: Cathi tracks the child's progress and may help adjust the plan if needed, ensuring it remains aligned with individual goals.
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Provides guidance to families: Cathi offers guidance and emotional support to families, helping them understand how best to support the child's development.
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Provides play therapy or therapeutic support through play to promote development and emotional growth and wellbeing. Therapy may be provided in clinic, at home or at school, kindergarten or childcare.
Keyworker support can be weekly or fortnightly and last from one term to a year of more, depending on the needs of the child and family.
Humanistic Play Therapy
"Enter into children's play and you will find the place where their minds, hearts, and souls meet"
Virginia Axline
Children naturally possess the ability to work through their challenges through play. In Humanistic (child-led) Play Therapy the therapist establishes an environment that feels safe for the child to explore their thoughts and feelings through play. The therapist develops a trusted connection with the child, attuning to the child’s needs and providing time and a permissive space to support them to feel heard and understood in order to communicate how they are feeling – sometimes through words or actions, sometimes through toys. The therapist reflects what the child does and says and is possibly thinking or feeling, without questioning, prompting or suggesting, letting the child lead the play. The child is viewed as capable of being able to work things out for themselves so responsibility is returned. Basic limits help children know that the therapist maintains safety in the playroom, even when they may not feel in control of their feelings themselves.
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Using knowledge of child development and psychosocial theory the therapist observes patterns and themes in play in order to better understand the child’s inner world and support them to work through what they need to. Humanistic therapy is not hurried, it is a gradual process. Children work through their thoughts and feelings at their own pace.
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Who can benefit from Humanistic play therapy?
Children experiencing:
• emotional and behavioural issues
• attachment difficulties
• loss, family separation and breakdowns
• illness or have a sibling of a child with an illness or disability
• or have witnessed domestic violence or substance abuse
• abuse, neglect, or trauma
• difficulties at school
• difficulties with communicating or engaging in social situations
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Short term interventions may require around 15 sessions, however some children require longer interventions. The therapist meets with parents every 5-6 sessions to share progress and reflect upon what is happening in the child's world.
Learn To Play
“Learn to Play is a practical hands-on therapy which aims to develop the enjoyment and the ability of a child to engage in pretend play.” (Stagnitti,K., 2021).
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The aim of Learn to Play is to enhance children's ability to engage in imaginative and pretend play, which further supports other areas of development, including speech and language, narrative understanding, creativity, social competence and emotional regulation (Stagnitti, K. 2021). Learn to play is a more directive approach which involves supporting children to learn how to initiate, imitate and engage in pretend play. While many children can engage in play independently, some require guidance to demonstrate and teach them how to play in order to develop the more advanced skills necessary for lifelong learning.
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Learn to Play Therapy is often suitable for children who experience difficulties with:
• Social environments
• Managing emotions
• Rigid or inflexible behaviours
• Connecting with peers
• Playing on their own
• Imagination or pretend play
• Confidence
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During Learn to Play sessions, the Play Therapist will select and direct the play activities to scaffold children’s play and help them to develop their play skills. The play activities will increase in complexity as the therapeutic process continues. Initially the therapist leads the play, with the view of the child initiating and leading the play as sessions progress.
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What does Learn to play involve?
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An intake session with the parent(s) to gain information about the child and understand parent goals
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An assessments of the child’s play ability
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10 -12 Learn to Play Sessions
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A meeting midway and at the end to reflect with parents and provide further recommendations.
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Total: 14-16 sessions depending on the needs of the child.
Filial (Family) Play Therapy
"Filial Therapy strengthens the parent-child relationship directly, and this has far-reaching benefits for the child, the parent and the entire family"”
(Vanfleet, R., 2022)
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Filial Therapy uses play therapy to support families to make changes at home to build stronger connections and communication. Parents or guardians learn to see the world through the eyes of their child. Filial Therapy supports parents and carers to become the therapeutic agents for change for their children by learning basic skills of Humanistic Play therapy with a trained Play therapist in order to conduct their own play sessions at home. This strengthens the parent child relationship and developing skills to support connection and consistency in parenting which will continue long after the intervention has concluded (Van fleet et al), 2010).
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Filial Therapy takes place over 16 or more sessions and is tailored to meet the needs of each family. After getting to know the family and establishing some shared goals for therapy, the therapist then teaches the parents/carers how to use therapeutic skills with their own children. Parents/ carers are then supported to have one-on-one play sessions with their children supervised by the Play Therapist. Once parents or carers are ready, the Play Therapist will then support parents or carers to consider how to apply the knowledge and skills into home life.
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Please note that both parents/ carers (if applicable) are required to attend all sessions, with some sessions being without children. Some sessions can be online at a time that suits parents or in clinic at organised times.
Please contact Cathi for a quote for Filial Play Therapy.
Group Therapy
COMING SOON
Educational Consultancy
Empowering educators with knowledge, skills, and resources needed to create nurturing and stimulating environments that promote inclusive learning and optimal development for young children.
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With three decades of experience in early childhood education, Cathi is dedicated to fostering excellence in educational environments. She engages with kindergartens, schools, and early learning centres, partnering with educators to leverage their strengths and achieve the best possible outcomes for children and families.
Consultation sessions support:
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· Reflecting on the classroom environment
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· Providing inclusive practice
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· Strengthening relationships with children and families
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Consulting and training packages can be tailored to individual services. Please contact Playful Steps Children's Therapy for costing and more information.
Fees
Private Fee Paying and NDIS Clients (Plan managed or Self managed):
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· Initial phone call to chat about service (up to 15min) Free
· Intake meeting - 1 hour
· Play therapy/ Parent session - 45 minutes contact time +15 minutes pack up and note taking) - Professional meeting attendance/ observation at kindergarten, school, etc
· Travel - hourly rate (charged pro rata). Maximum 30 mins travel time may apply
· Parent / carer consultation - 45 minutes contact time / 15 minute note taking​
· Reports - NDIS / comprehensive report - 2 hours
· Other reports available, price will vary - please discuss your needs
· Phone consultations charged pro rate of hourly fee after 15mins.
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· Educational Consultancy – please contact Cathi for a quote to fully meet your service’s needs.
Hourly rate : $190 per hour
Cancellation Policy: 24 hours' notice is required if you need to cancel a session otherwise full fees will apply
Playful Steps Children's Therapy
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1/49 Beaconsfield Emerald Rd
Upper Beaconsfield 3808
