Play Based Therapy

Hello! My name is Kimberley Baxter and I am excited to be the newest addition to Buninyong Primary School as a Play Therapist. I will be working on Wednesdays and Thursdays.

I have recently completed my Master of Child Play Therapy at Deakin University where I have worked with several families during the course of my degree, offering Learn to Play Therapy, Humanistic Play Therapy, and Filial Therapy services.

Play Therapy is a mental health service for children who are experiencing a range of emotional, social, or behavioural difficulties. Incorporating the learnings of many theoretical models and using the therapeutic powers of play, children are allowed the freedom to express themselves and make sense of life experiences in a safe environment through play.

Play Therapy gives children a chance to see their troubles from a new perspective, to ask for help if they need it, or to practice new ways of being and interacting with others. For example, a child who struggles to make friends or share, can practice doing those things with us in the playroom. A child who’s experienced scary or upsetting events, can revisit those in their play and begin to make sense of them in a safe and healthy way. Unlike adults, children often do not have the vocabulary to talk about their thoughts and feelings in relation to certain experiences. Through the language of play, children are able to share honest reflections of themselves and the world around them with the support of a Play Therapist.

Play Therapy is suitable for kids with all kinds of difficulties. This may include anxiety, depression, low self-esteem, lack of confidence, or children who may be reserved or withdrawn and have peer problems. Children who’ve experienced a bereavement or are coping with the new dynamics of a parent separation. Children experiencing challenging behaviours, attention difficulties, or those who find themselves emotionally dysregulated, as well as children who’ve experienced trauma.

Part of my approach as a Play Therapist involves supporting the family holistically along the journey by empowering parents and/or caregivers by bringing about positive changes within their interactions and relationships with their child. Play Therapy can be a slow, gentle, and gradual process, with long lasting benefits which manoeuvre their way into all areas of life.

I am very much looking forward to joining the team at Buninyong to support each child and their family.

If you believe that your child may benefit from Play Therapy and would like to be added to the waiting list, please contact narelle.sullivan@education.vic.gov.au to register your interest. Please understand that places are very limited and that students will be prioritised based on a range of factors.