Modalities that influence my practice

I am heavily influenced by my roots, my social work degree. Core values including, but not limited to, integrity and equity, the code of ethics, understanding people within the context of the range of systems in which they live and function and the value of supervision were all instilled in me from the beginning of my professional career.

I am an Accredited Mental Health Social Worker and I am currently working towards the AASW’s new accreditation of Supervisor as I am committed to supporting new and experienced Social Workers to combat burn out, live true to their own values and feel they are giving their best to the profession without losing themselves.

My work with children and families drew me to further studies in Family Therapy & Systems Theory, and Play Therapy (Child-Centered Play Therapy, Synergetic Play Therapy, Theraplay, Autplay). These courses have expanded my understanding of childhood development, parenting, neuroscience and the nervous system, neurodiversity, the systems around children (family, school, health, child protection, peers), and the inner child we have in us all and how these seemingly child-focussed modalities are relevant to all areas of life.

The more I have been in the presence of children and body-based or expressive therapy practitioners the more I have been drawn in. I am a DRUMBEAT facilitator, yoga teacher, meditation and yoga nidra facilitator and student of expressive therapies. I have attended a number of workshops and lectures with Cathy Malchiodi and am about to embark on an Intro to Art Therapy course because at our roots connection and communication often begin with some form of expressive art and it offers a beautiful healing and accessible medium to reflect on our experiences, express ourselves and connect with both ourselves and others.

Community. Connection. Collaboration. My training with the Beautiful You Life Coaching Academy and Julie Parker in 2021 has offered me all of these things, while also highlighting to me how these are a core value of mine. Delving into the BYCA model of life coaching was like coming home to a community and way of being in life and business that I had only ever truly felt in my SPT community. Lisa Dion (SPT) and Julie Parker (BYCA) by their powers combined (along with their sublimely nurturing and knowledgeable hand-picked teams) have helped me discover the true experience and value of authenticity and empowerment, the benefits of challenge, and the value of clear goals. And I simply think it would be selfish to keep all these amazing discoveries to myself, so I wholeheartedly want to continue to pass the torch of growth and challenge on to my clients.

Have the words Synergetic Play Therapy come to your attention recently and you found yourself wanting to know more? Are you looking for a deeper understanding to support your work with children? Or are you seeking a therapeutic modality that emphasises self-care and works towards reducing burnout as integral elements of the therapist experience, rather than focussing solely on the client’s experience.

Click here to explore the Synergetic Play Therapy or Synergetic Education Institute sites for more information about this modality, or click the button below to arrange a consultation.

You’ve started to hear a little more about SPT, perhaps even checked out the Lessons From The Playroom Podcast?

Check out the Synergetic Play Therapy Institute Signature Program - Online Introduction to SPT

Have you completed some SPT training and are looking for support around integrating it into your practice further while starting to accrue supervision hours? As a dual Accredited Mental Health Social Worker (AASW) and Registered Play Therapy Supervisor (APTA) based in Australia I would love to support you in your work with children and families. You can check out my qualifications here and see if my professional background resonates with you.

Let’s connect.

As an Australian-based SPT Certification Consultant, if I have the privilege of being allocated as your Consultant for the training I will send out private links to schedule your consultation sessions.

If you are Certified - Congratulations! I would love to support you in navigating SPT and play therapy in Australia, and offer the opportunity for you to continue accruing your supervision hours including if you are looking at becoming a Registered Play Therapist, or are a counsellor, social worker or other therapist looking to integrate play therapy into your practice.