My name is Mel and I am the founder and Registered Play Therapist (RPT-APPTA) of Island Play Therapy with a Master of Child Play Therapy qualification.   I am also a fully qualified and VIT registered Primary and Early Childhood Teacher, having had the privilege of working with children and families for over 20 years in many different teaching and other roles. 

I have always been driven by a strong desire to foster a nurturing environment where children can thrive emotionally, mentally, and socially.  Play has, and always will be, the foundation of my practice, based on the immense joy and benefits it holds and unlocks for each child’s development and wellbeing. I trust in every child’s ability to use the language of play to share their stories, create new realities, try out different ways of being and to grow and heal.

I am passionate about using play as a therapeutic agent to improve the lives of children and families and value working collaboratively with parents and carers to foster deeper, long lasting positive changes. Island Play Therapy provides a safe and supportive environment, where everyone can feel seen, heard and cared for, so that they can express themselves freely without judgment or pressure.

In order to provide the very best of therapeutic care to my clients I am committed to ongoing professional development and staying up to date with the latest advancements in child therapy.  I practice a holistic approach to play therapy, combining and integrating different play therapy modalities and techniques within a humanistic theoretical framework, designing an intervention that meets each child individually according to where they are at.  To Learn More about the different Play Therapy Services offered click here.

Most importantly though, I am a mum to two awesome young-adult daughters who have had a powerful impact on how I have grown throughout my own parenting journey and how I relate and support other families and carers.

As a Registered Play Therapist I practice within the Australasia Pacific Play Therapy Association (APPTA) Guidelines for Ethical  Play Therapy Practice which you can find here and I maintain regular clinical supervision to support my practice.  I live and work on the lands of the Bunurong people and wish to acknowledge them as the Traditional Owners of the Land on which I live and work and pay my respects to their Elders, past, present and emerging.

Qualifications:

• Master of Child Play Therapy

• Graduate Diploma of Early Childhood Teaching

• Graduate Diploma of Teaching (Primary)

• Graduate Certificate in Sandtray Therapy

• Certificate in Clay Field Therapy® with Children

• Bachelor of Applied Science

• AutPlay Certified Therapy Provider

• Learn to Play Certified Therapy Provider

• Certified InterPlay Facilitator

• Certified Lego-based Therapy Facilitator

• Bringing Up Great Kids (BUGK) Facilitator

• Theraplay Level One and MIM Training

• TORA Facilitator Training

• Accredited Standard Mental Health First Aider

• Australian Childhood Foundation Trauma Responsive Practice in Education & Making SPACE for Learning

Professional Memberships:

• Registered Play Therapist: Australasia Pacific Play Therapy Association (APPTA), Member #18225

• International Consortium Play Therapy Associations (IC-PT) Member

• Registered Teacher (Primary & Early Childhood): Victorian Institute of Teaching (VIT), #327451

• Member of the Australian and New Zealand Mental Health Association (ANZMHA)