Assessment and intervention follows a staged process beginning with an initial consultation.  I will meet with you to discuss your concerns to better understand your needs.  This process takes about
60 - 90 minutes and entails gathering information about you and your family to assist in guiding the next steps to addressing your concerns.  This session and consequent sessions are treated with confidentiality. 

If you are experiencing personal or interpersonal challenges, that you feel may be impacting negatively on your self or your relationship with others, therapy can be a helpful space to make sense of these challenges, and to experience a process of drawing on your strengths and potential to create positive change.  Therapy is a process that unfolds in the stories told. 

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I strive to provide a safe and non-judgemental space where you can share your challenges and concerns. 

I use various therapeutic approaches in therapy, depending on your needs, challenges, goals and expectations.  Some of these approaches include Person-Centered Therapy, Cognitive-Behaviour Therapy, Solution-Focused Therapy and Narrative Therapy.  

Children communicate through the process of play.  When a child has encountered something difficult, it can be very difficult for a child’s developing brain to verbalise their experiences or feelings.  Therefore, therapy in the form of play aims to provide a safe space where children can explain their inner worlds and make sense of what is going on in their lives. Some children can do this independently while others may need a therapist to guide them gently into places that may feel frightening.  

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Play therapy is a process that unfolds, beginning with the first session where we will spend time getting to know each other, to help build a sense of safety and trust in the therapeutic relationship.  Your child will have the option to play in a sand tray, to draw, create with play dough, play with figurines – whatever they choose as a method to communicate to me. 

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While parents/caregivers may receive ongoing brief feedback, there is usually a feedback session that is scheduled after about 3-4 sessions with the child (depending on how the child progresses through sessions).  Feedback  aims to provide an indication of how the process is progressing and how parents/caregivers can assist the child on their journey.

​​Behaviour is a form of communication.  When a child's behaviours present as challenging, I strive to work collaboratively with the significant people in the child's life to explore the underlying needs being communicated through their behaviours.  These underlying needs can give clues on how to respond to the child in a way that meets those needs. 

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There is no "one size fits all" manual that exists when it comes to human behaviours, as there are so many factors that can contribute to why people act the way they do.  As such challenging behaviour support may include

• detailed information gathering to better understand the behaviours and potential underlying needs

• observations and/or assessments

• learning insights into the underlying needs or behaviours of concern

• working collaboratively to explore alternative ways of responding in an attempt to meet underlying needs and reduce significant challenging behaviours, by teaching alternative ways of communicating needs.

As parents / caregivers, we can sometimes feel overwhelmed or stuck in times of stress, change, increased demands or difficult circumstances.   

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At Hub of Hope, I strive to create a safe and non-judgemental space that offers parents/caregivers the opportunity to make sense of their experiences and challenges, and to feel heard and understood.  I work collaboratively with parents/caregivers as the experts in their relationships with their child/ren, and aim to facilitate a process of discovery, growth and development, supporting parents/caregivers to create the changes they would like to see.

Building positive connections

(Supporting social and emotional wellbeing)

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This program can be helpful for children who struggle with social communication, anxiety or disruptive behaviours.  

Watch the video to see what the brick-by-brick program is about:  

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Brick by Brick Program