Play Therapy Gold Coast
Are you a devoted parent/caregiver looking for solutions on how you and/or your child can heal the broken aspects of self and discover your unique worth? Â
If so, you’ve found the right place!
As a registered counsellor, I specialise in Play Therapy for Families with Children under the age of Seven (Early Childhood) who live with a variety of cognitive, social, physical, emotional, behavioural, medical and neurobiological conditions.
Whether you or your child are seeking therapy for:
- ~ family relationships, including adoption issues
- ~ stress, sadness, or depression
- ~ fear or anxiety
- ~ low confidence or self-esteem
- ~ trauma, grief & lossÂ
- ~ meaning and purposeÂ
- ~ focus and attentional problems
- ~ social skills problems
- ~ self-control and impulsivity
- ~ aggression and anger
- ~ sensory issues
- ~ nightmares
- ~ bedwetting
- ~ academic motivation
Play therapy is an excellent treatment option for children and families who are going through a difficult emotional time.
If you can relate to even 1 of the above, chances are your child will greatly benefit from Play Therapy, here on the Gold Coast.
5 ways I will support your child
PLAY THERAPY GOLD COAST
Whether we meet at my place or yours, I will provide you and your child with a secure space where you will feel safe enough to explore, take healthy risks, and nurture your natural ability to heal and grow.
The toys and tools your child uses will become their words. Their play will become their language.
I will shape and guide whatever your child expresses through play to support them in improving their adaptive behaviours, social skills, and emotional abilities.
FAMILY PARTICIPATION
As your child’s parent/caregiver, you play a huge role in your child’s healing!
I will invite you to join your child for a few play therapy sessions (filial therapy) where you will get a better understanding of your child’s unique needs, and how best to support them at home.
Your active participation in your child’s therapy is hugely beneficial as it will help to strengthen the bond between you and your child. Having a great relationship with your child is a critical element for ensuring your child’s ongoing development and future success.
Session Information
As a registered member of the Australian Counselling Association (ACA), I am bound by their Code of Ethics and Practice which outlines my responsibilities to you, the client.
I receive regular supervision and professional training to ensure that I maintain a high professional standard and responsibility for your physical, emotional or psychological wellbeing during our play therapy sessions here on the Gold Coast, Australia.
Should you have any complaints about me or the service I offer, please contact the Australian Counselling Association.
I hold the following counselling-related qualifications:
B.A. Degree in Early Childhood Teaching: Charles Sturt University – Meets the requirements of the Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) at Level 7, the Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency (TEQSA) and approved by the Australian Children’s Education and Care Quality Authority (ACECQA)
Certificate IV in Adult Training and Assessment: Australia-International Institute of Workplace Training – Recognised within the Australian Qualifications Frameworks (AQF)
Certificate in Neuro-linguistic Programming (NLP): QC Academy
Certificate of Clinical Hypnosis: The Australian Academy of Hypnosis – Accredited with The Hypnotherapy Council of Australia (HCA)
Diploma of Counselling: Australian Institute of Professional Counsellors – Recognised within the Australian Qualifications Frameworks (AQF) at Level 5 and approved by the Australian Counselling Association (ACA)
Diploma of Art Therapy: Ikon Institute of Australia – Meets the requirements of the Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) at Level 5, the Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency (TEQSA) and approved by The Australian, New Zealand and Asian Creative Arts Therapies Association (ANZACATA)Â
Bachelor of Counselling and Psychotherapy (2nd year): Ikon Institute of Australia – Meets the requirements of the Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) at Level 7, the Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency (TEQSA) and approved by the Australian Counselling Association (ACA)
Master of Child Play Therapy (to graduate in 2024): Deakin University – Meets the requirements of the Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) at Level 9, the Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency (TEQSA) and approved by the Australasia Pacific Play Therapy Association (APPTA)
The first, 90-minute play therapy intake session on the Gold Coast is with parents/caregivers only and will be a time to get to know each other a little better. You will get an opportunity to share more about your child and family situation, and what you are hoping to gain from therapy. I will then explain the therapeutic process to you and answer any questions you may have.
If we feel that we are the right fit for each other, we will put a service agreement in place. This agreement will outline my responsibilities to you, and your responsibilities as a client. I will honour and respect your right to freedom of choice.
To book your first play therapy intake session, please select your preferred location (Hub/Mobile/Online) and then choose Intake Session from the drop-down menu in the booking form below.
For Government-Funded clients, please contact me to book your first session.Â
Play Therapy sessions for children are 45 minutes in duration and, depending on your individual plan, may occur weekly or fortnightly.
Therapy sessions for adults are 60 minutes long and may come in useful when you require individual therapy sessions for yourself as a parent/caregiver.
Occasionally, sessions may go over time. No extra fee will be charged for this.
I offer play and family (filial) therapy on the Gold Coast on following days and times:
- Monday from 9am to 5pm
- Tuesday from 9am to 5pm
- Wednesday from 9am to 5pm
- Thursday from 9am to 5pm
- Friday – closed
Bookings are essential and can be made in advance to avoid disappointment.
Sessions are billed pro-rata, based on an hourly rate of $110.00.
- The initial 90-minute Intake Session is billed at $165.00.
- Each 45-minute play therapy session is billed at $82.50.
- Any 60-minute adult therapy session for parents/caregivers only, is billed at $110.00.
Please note that I do not offer any Medicare rebates or bulk billing. I do however offer Health Fund Rebates from the following Health Funds in Australia:
How much you receive back will be according to your level of cover.
Private paying clients are required to pay on the day in cash or via electronic funds transfer at point of sale (EFTPOS). You can also pay in advance via the online booking system below.
Government-funded clients will be issued an invoice within 48 hours of service delivery. Payments are due within 14 days.
I provide Early Childhood Supports (0-7) and Therapy Supports (7+) to to NDIS Plan-Managed and Self-Managed participants as an unregistered provider under the following Australian Business Number (ABN): 49 688 045 484.
I have a current NDIS Worker Screening clearance.Â
During the initial intake session, I will gather information about your NDIS Plan goals, dates and your use of other services to determine how many hours to allocate to Play Therapy.
As an NDIS participant, you will be billed in line with the NDIS item: Early Childhood Support – Counsellor at $156.16 per hour. Therefore, the initial 90-minute intake session is billed at $234.24 and each 60-minute session thereafter is billed at $156.16
Any additional non-face-to-face activities such as therapy planning, NDIS-requested report writing, liaising with other professionals via phone calls, case meetings, and developing resources, etc. will be billed pro-rata based on the same hourly rate of $156.16, e.g. 15-minute phone call to the teacher will be billed at $39.04.
Travel costs for mobile services are billed as per the NDIS guidelines. The maximum amount of travel time I will claim at each visit is 30 minutes. The same hourly rate of $156.16 will be used to calculate the claimable travel cost, e.g. 25 minute travel time will be charged at $66.
Plan Managed Participants: invoices will be sent directly to your plan manager within 48 hours of service delivery. Payments are due within 14 days.
Self-Managed Participants: I will invoice you directly within 48 hours of service delivery. Payments are due within 7 days.
Late payments and outstanding bills may result in a suspension of services until all fees are paid in full. Where necessary, I may use the service of a debt collection agency to recover the debt.
If, for any reason, you need to cancel or reschedule an appointment, please give at least 24 hours notice. Any cancellation of sessions with less than 24 hours notice will incur a full fee, payable prior to the next therapy session.
In the event of my own illness or an emergency, I will give you as much notice as possible and offer you an alternative time.
Please note that sessions will be cancelled if you are under the influence of alcohol or other illegal drugs. This cancellation will incur a full fee.
Confidentiality is an essential aspect of the counselling relationship. Everything that is discussed in our session together is kept in the strictest confidence.
I usually keep brief notes about each session which is securely stored on an online database. Only I have access to these notes. Upon written request, you may view any information I have kept about your therapy sessions. Please allow up to 48 hours for this information to be made available to you.
Occasionally I may want to make an audio recording of our session together to monitor my work as a therapist. This would only occur with your prior knowledge and permission. This data will be safely disposed of after use.
As a registered member of the ACA, I am required to have regular supervision. I may need to discuss our therapy sessions with my supervisor. If so, I will not disclose your name or anything that would enable you to be identified during these discussions.
In certain circumstances, we may have to make exceptions to the general rules of confidentiality:
~ if there is convincing evidence that you intend to harm yourself, I might need to inform your referring doctor or your emergency contact,
~ if you disclose that you intend to harm others (e.g. abuse of children is a mandatory reporting offence which I am bound by law to report),
~ where there is a legal requirement, or if I am ordered by a court of law to disclose information,
~ you have given me approval to provide a written report, or to discuss information with relevant professionals, e.g. your referring GP, other health care professionals or your employer.
Where possible I would attempt to talk this through with you before breaking our confidentiality agreement.
It is my responsibility to work with you to reach a recognised ending when it is evident that you have achieved your therapeutic goals. You may wish to cease your sessions with me when it is apparent that counselling is no longer helping or when you decide to end.
Should I be unable to support your specific needs, I may need to refer you on to another professional with more expertise. At all times, I will discuss this with you to prevent any potential risk of emotional or psychological harm.
ARE YOU READY TO INVEST IN YOURSELF?
There’s simply no reason to wait. You and your child have the ability to access the intuitive wisdom of your inner healer, you just need a little guidance in a safe environment to succeed. Take the leap and book your first Gold Coast Play Therapy session with Laurinda. Just imagine how liberating it will be to confidently express your worth as a unique soul.
Book Now
Each week/fortnight I will meet you at my well-equipped home office (the “Hub”), which is based in Biggera Waters on the Gold Coast, QLD, Australia.
If you can’t make it in person, we can always book an online session via Zoom. Please note this service is only available for adults.
Having trouble booking your appointment? Please reach out! I’ll gladly book the appointment for you.