What About Play - Child and Family Occupational Therapy

Get to know What About Play - Child and Family Occupational Therapy

From What About Play - Child and Family Occupational Therapy's website.

• Our approach

  What About Play uses play as a fundamental tool to help children learn about their world and make sense of their relationships and experiences. Sessions emphasise interactive, exploratory play that allows children to process worries and learn new ways to cope, while parents are supported to facilitate more meaningful interactions with their children. The approach draws on a variety of theoretical frameworks and is delivered in a compassionate, responsive and thoughtful manner. Play is positioned as a skill that helps children regulate their emotions and behaviours, and therapy creates space for families to develop new ways of being together, even when this feels uncomfortable or uncertain at first.

• Working with families

  Parents and carers are central to therapy at What About Play. Sessions involve parent-child consultation to explore relationship difficulties and ways to help, with a particular focus on helping parents facilitate more meaningful interactions with their children. Catherine emphasises working in partnership with families and understanding each child's temperament and play style. Parent workshops and group therapy sessions are also offered periodically, providing additional opportunities for learning and connection alongside individual consultation.

• Meet the team

  Catherine Daly is the Director and sole named therapist at What About Play. She is a registered Occupational Therapist with a Bachelor's Degree in Occupational Therapy and a Master's Degree in Mental Health in the field of psychotherapy. Catherine holds certification in Circle of Security Assessment and Treatment Planning (Level 1), has OTA Mental Health Endorsement, and is registered with the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (Occupational Therapist Board of Australia). She has extensive experience working with children and families with psychosocial, mental health and developmental difficulties, and is also a member of Occupational Therapy Australia and the Australian Association for Infant Mental Health.