If you are looking for play therapy in Brisbane, you may be wondering how it works and whether it is the right fit for your child. Play therapy can be especially helpful for younger children who express themselves best through movement, imagination, and creative exploration. It is one approach offered within our broader child psychology services in Brisbane.
Our play therapist at Hively Health is Psychologist, Rae Barker. She supports children through warm, child-led, and neuroaffirming play-based sessions designed to build emotional regulation, confidence, and connection. Rae works closely with families to understand each child’s strengths, challenges, and developmental needs, creating a safe space where real therapeutic progress can unfold.
Our Play Therapist in Brisbane: Rae Barker
Rae Barker is a registered Psychologist with the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA) and an Associate Member of the Australian Psychological Society (APS). Based in East Brisbane, she practices at Hively Health, offering both in-clinic and community-based services, including NDIS support. Rae uses the play therapy approach developed by Theraplay Australia.
Her work extends across a range of presentations, including:
- Behavioural and emotional regulation
- Neurodiversity (e.g. autism, ADHD)
- Trauma-related symptoms
- Sleep difficulties
- Social and play skills
- Parenting support and psychoeducation
As a child psychologist and play therapist in Brisbane, Rae combines child-led play with evidence-based psychology, facilitating individual therapy, as well as group therapy programs designed to foster confidence, friendships, and social-emotional skills in children throughout the school year.
To learn more, read Rae’s practioner profile as well as her QA article, Building Connection through Theraplay at Hively Health.
What Is Play Therapy?
Play therapy is a form of child psychology. It is a therapeutic approach tailored for children, leveraging their natural mode of expression—play—to help them process emotions, trauma, and developmental challenges. It supports emotional regulation, resilience, problem‑solving, and social development through creative, nonverbal methods.
A play‑based approach works especially well with younger children, creating a safe, neuroaffirming, and child‑led space where kids can feel seen and comfortable expressing themselves freely.
Whether sessions are in‑clinic, at home, or community settings, children are engaged through games, symbolic play, art, and imaginative storytelling. The approach is warm, empathetic, and community-driven, working collaboratively with families to understand each child’s strengths and support needs.
How Play Therapy Fits Within Child Psychology
Play therapy sits within broader child psychology practice and provides a developmentally responsive way for children to process emotions, build regulation skills, and engage in meaningful therapeutic work.
This approach can be used by psychologists to help children overcome challenges such as:
- Emotional regulation (e.g., anxiety, sadness, anger)
- Behavioural issues (e.g., defiance, aggression, attention difficulties)
- Developmental disorders (e.g., Autism Spectrum Disorder, ADHD)
- Learning difficulties (e.g., dyslexia, school-related stress)
- Social skills and peer relationships
- Trauma, grief, or major life transitions (e.g., family separation)
- Mental health disorders (e.g., depression, anxiety)
- Parenting support and family dynamics
How Play Therapy Supports Children
Play therapy offers developmentally appropriate ways for children to express themselves and build essential skills. It can support children by helping them:
- Explore and process emotions in a safe, child-led environment
- Build emotional regulation and coping strategies
- Strengthen social skills, communication, and connection with peers
- Improve confidence and self-esteem through mastery and creative expression
- Work through worries, trauma, or behavioural challenges using symbolic and imaginative play
- Develop problem-solving, resilience, and flexibility
- Support parent-child relationships by offering insights into a child’s inner world
- Practise new behaviours in a supportive, playful way
Why Families are Choosing Play Therapy in Brisbane
Read more about Play Therapy in Brisbane via Theraplay Australia, the playful, attachment-based approach we use at Hively Health. You can also read our Q&A with Rae on Theraplay.
The Therapy Environment: Hively Bumblebees
Rae is part of the Hively Bumblebees paediatric service for ages 1–16. Located at our East Brisbane clinic, the space is thoughtfully designed to be engaging and calming—it features sensory lighting, crash mats, a magical tree structure, soft toys, fidget tools, books, and even Nerf‑guns to support regulation and creativity.
Families can choose in‑person sessions at the clinic, telehealth, or community‑based visits (home, school, or kindergarten). Rae accepts both private and NDIS-supported clients, with Medicare rebates available.
What a Therapy Journey Might Look Like
- Intake session: Rae meets with caregivers to gather developmental history and collaboratively set therapeutic goals.
- Play‑based sessions: Regular 1:1 therapy sessions where children engage in play guided by their inner world while supported by Rae.
- Parental support and feedback: Regular check‑ins to monitor progress, adjust therapy goals, and offer strategies for use at home.
- Group programs: Optional group interventions to build social skills and peer connection in a structured, playful setting.
How This Supports Your Child
- Creates a comfortable, child-centred space where younger children can communicate naturally.
- Provides therapeutic benefits beyond talk therapy, especially for trauma or behavioural regulation.
- Integrates family support through parent education and caregiver insight.
- Offers a neuroaffirming and inclusive approach for neurodiverse children.
- Available via flexible delivery—clinic, home, school, or telehealth—and accessible through rebates and NDIS support.
How to Learn More or Book in for Play Therapy
If you are seeking an experienced play therapist in Brisbane, we welcome enquiries through the Hively Health team.
- Get in Touch with the Hively Health team to discuss appointments and book in.
- Visit our Hively Bumblebees section of the clinic for a warm, sensory-rich therapy environment.
Hively Health is a NDIS registered provider and Medicare rebates may apply with a GP mental health care plan or private health fund.
Common questions about Play Therapy in Brisbane
Play therapy is a form of child psychology that uses play as the primary way for children to express emotions, explore experiences, and develop coping skills. Because children often communicate through play rather than conversation, this approach allows them to process feelings, build emotional regulation, and strengthen confidence in a developmentally appropriate way.
Research shows that play therapy can be effective in supporting children with anxiety, emotional regulation difficulties, behavioural challenges, trauma, and social skill development. When delivered by a registered psychologist, play therapy is structured, goal-focused, and grounded in evidence-based practice.
Play therapy is commonly used for children aged approximately 3 to 12 years, particularly those who find it difficult to express thoughts and emotions verbally. Elements of play-based therapy can also be adapted for adolescents when appropriate.
If play therapy is delivered by a registered psychologist during psychology sessions, under a valid GP Mental Health Treatment Plan, Medicare rebates can apply. Eligibility depends on individual circumstances. Sessions may also be accessed privately or through NDIS funding where applicable.
