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ABOUT OUR COMPANY

KLC Counselling & Play Therapy is a private practice with locations in Hervey Bay and Maryborough, Queensland. Each year, we support over 100 children and families by providing a safe, caring environment to help manage challenges, strengthen attachments, and build healthier relationships.

Our team of postgraduate-qualified Play Therapists come from diverse professional backgrounds, including counselling, psychology, and education. We are committed to supporting you and your child with compassion and respect, ensuring our approach is tailored to your family’s unique needs.

As a trauma-informed and neurodivergent-affirming practice, we create an inclusive space where all children, parents, and carers feel welcomed and supported. We also offer specialised assistance for families experiencing domestic and family violence.

In addition to play therapy, we provide general counselling support for children and young people, helping them to develop resilience, manage emotions, and improve overall wellbeing. Our goal is to support your family’s mental health journey with kindness, understanding, and professional care.

What is play therapy?

Play Therapy is a powerful means of combining the innate, creative and non-verbal capacities of children in order to engage, build relationships, and work therapeutically with them. Play therapy is a developmentally appropriate, evidence-based intervention for children 2-14 years old.

In Play Therapy, children can play out, symbolically or literally, their real-life and inner experiences in a way that builds capacity and insight.

Play Therapy sessions give children a safe, secure and confidential space to process their thoughts, feelings and experiences.

The result: children who can process their trauma, heal from hurts and thrive in their everyday life.

What is children & adolescent counselling?

Children and adolescent counselling offers a range of evidence-based approaches tailored to support individuals up to 18 years old. Techniques such as Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Solution-Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT), and Child-Centred Play Therapy (CCPT) or Child-Based Play Therapy (CBPT) are utilised to help young people develop resilience, manage their emotions, and overcome challenges.

These approaches are designed to be developmentally appropriate, engaging, and practical, focusing on empowering children and adolescents to build coping skills, set goals, and find solutions to their difficulties.

These sessions foster insight, healing, and growth, helping children to process trauma, overcome hurts, and thrive in their daily lives

Our goal is to support children and adolescents in building resilience and achieving emotional well-being through compassionate, evidence-based therapy.

Differences & Benefits of Child-Centered Play Therapy & Children's Counselling

Child-centred play therapy is a non-directive approach rooted in humanistic principles, where children express themselves freely through spontaneous play in a safe and accepting environment. This method allows children to process emotions and experiences naturally, fostering emotional healing and self-awareness through their own chosen means of expression. It is particularly beneficial for younger children or those who find it difficult to articulate their feelings verbally, supporting their emotional growth in a gentle, child-led manner.

Conversely, children's counselling typically involves talking therapies such as cognitive-behavioural therapy, where children are encouraged to verbalise their feelings and thoughts in a structured way. This approach helps children develop coping skills and address specific issues like anxiety or depression.

Both approaches are valuable; counselling can be particularly effective for children capable of verbal communication and dealing with targeted issues, while play therapy provides a supportive environment for emotional expression and development in children who find talking challenging.

Who does therapy help?

Children going through difficulties associated with:

Low self-esteem and self-confidence
School and social difficulties
Selective mutism
Trauma or attachment issues
Divorce and separation
Anxiety and depression
Grief and loss
Angry and aggressive behaviours
Chronic illness
Bullying
Sexual or physical abuse
Gender variance
Sleep
Out of Home Care

Children with a diagnosis of:

Autism
ADHD
AuDHD
Global Development Delay
Cerebral Palsy
Down Syndrome
PTSD
plus more...

Example objectives in play therapy & counselling

Increase child's ability to emotionally self or co-regulate
Decrease volume and intensity of meltdowns or problem behaviours
Support child to process traumatic experiences
Enhance social skills and play skills
Grow attachment and relationship between child and caregiver/s
Increase child's self esteem and sense of self
Decrease night time disturbances (eg. nightmares)

STRUCTURE & pROCESS

Structure

Child Session

Structure

Intake

Child Session 1-5

Parent/Carer update

Child Session 6-10

Parent/Carer update

Written Report (if requested).

Repeat.

Intake

Child Session

Structure

The intake goes for 1.5 hours, online or face to face in clinic. It is conducted with the parents/carers of the child and without the child present. The intake aims to gain information about the child and their family history and current situation. It is also an opportunity for the therapist to build a relationship with parents/carers and answer any questions.

Child Session

Each session is scheduled for 1-hour (45-minute therapy session and a built-in 15 minutes to allow for transition in and out of playroom) and requires weekly attendance.

Sessions can be in clinic, or at the child's kindergarten or school. Most children require 20-30 sessions.

Update

Reports

Child Session

Each update takes 60-90 minutes, online or face to face in clinic. The update is conducted with the parents/carers of the child and without the child present. The update aims to find out how the child is going at home and at school, to share how things are going in session and to share any tips, skills or suggestions we may have for the child and their family.

Reports

By request, therapists will provide a report. The report will include session summary, progress, any assessment results, and recommendations.

Reports are allocated minimum 3hrs billable prior to release of report.

therapy phases

Children generally progress through four phases during their play therapy/counselling journey. The duration of each phase is unpredictable, but regular weekly attendance tends to lead to faster and more positive results.

PHASE 1 - Engagement

Children explore the playroom and the toys, questioning what things they can and cannot do in the therapy room. Some children will have the desire to touch and try out everything they see, other children will be hesitant and uncertain about what their role is in the therapy room and look to the therapist to take the lead.

PHASE 2 - Working Through

The child and Therapist establish a relationship of trust and the child begins to play out or talk through underlying issues. A decrease in the child’s functioning may accompany this phase as they make the decision to put in the work or keep resisting because it feels difficult. Often, things will get worse before they get better.

PHASE 3 - Theraputic Growth

This is typically the longest phase of therapy. Children show up to each session ready to put in the hard work required for personal growth. They are learning, healing, stepping out of their comfort zone, and making changes. Parents and carers often notice positive advances in their child’s self-esteem, behaviours, communication, and overall outlook on life.

PHASE 4 - Conclusion

This important phase entails the therapist and child summarising their time together and preparing to end the relationship. This occurs when children are consistently demonstrating their new skills with ease, and behavioural, emotional and social needs have stabilised in multiple environments.

4 universal therapy outcomes

INCREASED REGULATION

Children learn to self-regulate, leading to a calm, centered demeanor with reduced severity and frequency of dysregulation. Reducing the impact of external triggers, enabling children to maintain composure and resilience when things don’t go to plan

INCREASED SELF-ESTEEM

Children learn to believe in their abilities and face challenges with optimism and determination. Children gain the skills to navigate adversities, reducing the impact of fear and uncertainty in their lives.

INCREASED EMOTIONAL VOCABULARY

Children learn to communicate and express their feelings and needs more clearly, paving the way for better support and understanding from others.

INCREASED WORLDVIEW

Children learn to contemplate the outcomes of their actions, fostering a sense of responsibility and empathy. Children develop a more mature understanding of their role within their environment and relationships.