Frequently asked

It's occupational therapy delivered through play — the way children naturally learn. Behind every game in a session there's a therapeutic goal you've helped set: climbing that's building shoulder stability, pretend play that's building language and friendships, playdough that's building the strength for writing. Your child gets an hour that feels like play. The skills come along for the ride.

Formal “play therapy” usually means a counselling approach, where a therapist uses play to help a child work through feelings and experiences. What we deliver is play-based occupational therapy: play is the engine for building everyday skills — movement, self-care, sensory regulation, friendships and school readiness. Both rest on the same idea: play is a child's natural language, so it's the most effective place to work.

Yes — play-based therapy is one of the better-studied child interventions. Large reviews of controlled trials show meaningful benefits across behaviour, emotional wellbeing and school outcomes, and the American Academy of Pediatrics has twice set out the evidence that play itself builds brain structure and executive function. We've written a plain-English summary of the research, with links to every study, in our resources section.

Mostly ages 2 to 12 — from toddlers through to the end of primary school. Early support tends to be the most effective kind, so if you're wondering whether your child is too young to start, they almost certainly aren't. If your child is older, ask anyway — if we're not the right fit, we'll help you find who is.

No. You can book directly with us. A GP referral is only needed if you want to claim a Medicare rebate under a GP chronic condition management plan (GPCCMP).

You don't have to know — that's our job. If something about your child's day feels harder than it should be, that's reason enough to have a conversation. We'll tell you honestly if we don't think therapy is what's needed.

Mostly play, and a lot of talking with you. We're getting to know your child and understanding what you'd like to be different. You'll leave with a sense of what we'd work on and how.

We work across Melbourne's inner north west: Aberfeldie, Airport West, Altona, Altona Meadows, Altona North, Ardeer, Ascot Vale, Avondale Heights, Braybrook, Brooklyn, Brunswick, Brunswick East, Brunswick West, Burnside Heights, Cairnlea, Calder Park, Carlton North, Deer Park, Delahey, Essendon, Essendon North, Essendon West, Flemington, Footscray, Gladstone Park, Gowanbrae, Hillside, Keilor, Keilor Downs, Keilor East, Keilor Lodge, Keilor North, Keilor Park, Kensington, Kingsville, Laverton, Laverton North, Maidstone, Maribyrnong, Moonee Ponds, Newport, Niddrie, North Melbourne, Parkville, Pascoe Vale, Pascoe Vale South, Point Cook, Princes Hill, Sanctuary Lakes, Seabrook, Seddon, South Kingsville, Spotswood, Strathmore, Sydenham, Taylors Hill, Taylors Lakes, Travancore, Tullamarine, West Footscray, West Melbourne, Williamstown, Williamstown North, Yarraville. Sessions happen in the clinic, at home, at school or kinder — and telehealth reaches families anywhere in Victoria.

This changes through the year. Get in touch and we'll tell you where things stand — and if the wait is long, we'll say so rather than leave you hanging.

It depends entirely on your child and your goals. Many families work in blocks — often around 12 sessions — then review. Some need a handful, some work with us for years. We'll always tell you when we think you're done.

Usually yes, especially early on, and especially with younger children. You know your child better than we do. Some older children prefer time on their own, and we'll work that out together.

We'll suggest things to try, but they're designed to fit into what you already do rather than add another task to your evening. If a strategy needs an hour a day you don't have, it isn't a strategy.

Yes. We work in clinic, at home, at school and kinder, and out in the community. Many children make faster progress when we work where the difficulty actually happens.

Our standard therapy rate is $193.99 an hour — we charge the 2026-27 NDIS price limit and not a cent above it, and it's the same rate however you fund your sessions: NDIS, Medicare rebates, private health or paying privately. Every fee is published on our fees and funding page, so there are no surprises.

Yes, if your funding is self-managed or plan-managed. We are not an NDIS-registered provider, so we cannot work with NDIA-managed (agency-managed) plans — that funding can only be spent with registered providers. See our fees and funding page for detail.

Usually yes, if your extras cover includes occupational therapy — check the policy names OT specifically, because some extras cover physio and chiro but not us. You pay for the session and claim the rebate back from your fund, using the receipt we give you. What you get back depends on your fund, your level of cover and your annual limit. You cannot claim from your fund for a session already paid for by NDIS or a Medicare rebate.

Let us know as early as you can so we can offer the time to another family. The cancellation window and any fee are set out in your service agreement.

For some things, genuinely yes — parent coaching and supervision work very well over video. For hands-on work with a young child, in person is usually better. We'll be honest about which applies to you.

It means we're not trying to make your child appear more like other children. We help them build the skills they want and need, in ways that work with how their brain and body are wired. We won't ask a child to stop stimming, and we describe what your child is building rather than what they “can't” do.

Yes — and with children who have no diagnosis, and children who are still going through assessment. A diagnosis is not a requirement for support.

You will see an AHPRA-registered occupational therapist. The registration number is on the About page, and you can verify it yourself on the public AHPRA register.