Work with Us
Services
Side by Side Therapy offers integrative play and creative therapy options for children from two years old, education and skill development, workshops, consultations and supervision, well as support for parents and caregivers.
Side by Side Therapy does not provide crisis support. If you are experiencing a life-threatening situation call 000, or for crisis support call Lifeline 13 11 14.
Play Therapy
Our play therapy is for children aged two and above. We provide needs-based, integrative, humanistic and client-centred play therapy.
Side by Side offers integrative play and creative therapy services tailored for children from two years old. Our therapeutic approach is founded on integrative, humanistic, client, and family-centred principles. We are dedicated to providing culturally sensitive, diversity-affirming, neuroaffirming, trauma-informed, and responsive care to all clients and families.
We specialise in purposefully combining evidence-based interventions, such as play therapy, with games, and creative arts-based therapeutic modalities to facilitate growth, early intervention, and healing in children. Our approach emphasises the importance of addressing underlying causes of challenging behaviours through play therapy and Collaborative & Proactive Solutions (CPS). By integrating these evidence-based practices, we aim to promote emotional regulation, increase positive interactions, and enhance overall well-being in children and families.
Through integrative play and creative therapy, we create a safe and supportive environment where children can express themselves, explore their emotions, and develop coping skills. By fostering a collaborative approach to addressing challenges, we empower children and families to work together towards positive outcomes and lasting change.
We are committed to supporting children in various aspects of their development, including:
- Strengthening independence and resilience.
- Helping children manage anxiety and develop coping strategies for anxiety-related behaviours.
- Promoting social engagement and fostering relationships with peers.
- Supporting emotional and sensory regulation and processing.
- Encouraging self-exploration and embracing identity.
- Assisting children in navigating life transitions.
- Identifying and nurturing individual strengths.
- Guiding children through challenging emotions and fears of failure.
- Addressing and managing behaviours of concern and challenging behaviours.
- Cultivating healthy self-esteem and self-awareness.
- Enhancing communication skills.
- Facilitating healing and processing of trauma.
Through play, curiosity, empathy, and attunement, we provide support to parents or caregivers in building healthy, secure attachments with their children.
MULTIDISCIPLINARY ASSESSMENTS
Side by Side Therapy is excited to team up with Karolina, psychologist and Aliya, speech pathologist from Little Bee Psychology for multidisciplinary autism assessments for both adults and children. In addition, Karolina can provide psycho-educational and ADHD assessments of children and adolescents.
Upcoming assessments will be held the week of December 16, 2024.
Education and Skill Development
At Side by Side Therapy, we believe in empowering children and their families through targeted capacity building and skill development. Our approach is rooted in understanding each child's unique needs and creating an enriching environment that promotes lifelong learning and personal growth.
Our team employs evidence-based techniques, ensuring that each child makes meaningful progress tailored to their individual pace and style. Through the delivery of specialist services, we collaborate to help children and families achieve their capacity building and wellbeing goals. Our specialised programmes are carefully crafted to nurture essential life skills in children.
We focus on key areas to build capacity and increase skills in areas such as:
Enhancing Communication Skills
Facilitating Emotional Expression
Increasing Social Interaction Skills
Improving Cognitive Skills
Developing Self-Awareness and Self-Esteem
Increasing Overall Wellbeing
Managing Challenging Behaviours and Symptoms
Problem Solving for Daily Life
Assisting with Transitions
Building Independence
Through our comprehensive capacity building and skill development programmes, Side by Side aims to lay a solid foundation for children to thrive academically, socially, and emotionally, preparing them for a successful future.
At Side by Side, we work with people, not labels. We are committed to being neuroaffirming, trauma-informed, and culturally sensitive, working with each child and family as individuals, meeting them where they are, and having as much fun as possible at the same time.
At Side by Side Therapy, we are committed to empowering children and their families through capacity building and skill development. We understand that each child is unique, with distinct needs and potentials. Our programmes are designed in an enriching environment that not only addresses immediate capacity building and skill development goals but also fosters lifelong learning and personal growth.
Our specialised programmes are carefully crafted to nurture essential life skills in children. We focus on key areas such as social interaction, where children learn to communicate and collaborate effectively with peers; emotional regulation, helping children manage their emotions constructively; and academic support, where we provide tools and techniques that aid in cognitive development and learning retention. Our team of experienced therapists employs evidence-based techniques, ensuring that each child makes meaningful progress tailored to their individual pace and style.
Our Approach
Interactive Learning: At the core of our philosophy is the belief that children learn best through active participation. We use interactive and engaging methods that encourage children to learn through play and discovery. Our activities are designed to be fun yet educational, promoting capacity building and ensuring that children remain motivated and eager to learn. Our interactive learning methods involve a variety of activities that are both fun and educational, designed to stimulate curiosity and foster discovery. By integrating elements of play, we make learning an enjoyable experience that keeps children motivated and eager to explore new concepts.
Family Involvement: We believe that capacity building and therapy are a collaborative effort. By involving families in the learning process, we help create a supportive home environment that reinforces the skills learned during therapy sessions. We view our work as a partnership between the therapist, the child, and their family. Involving families in the learning process is crucial, as it creates a supportive home environment that reinforces the skills being developed during therapy sessions. We provide families with resources, strategies, and guidance to effectively support their child’s journey. We also actively engage with schools and other professionals as requested and appropriate.
Continuous Development: Capacity building and skill development is an ongoing process. We provide ongoing assessments and feedback to families, adapting our strategies as children grow and their needs evolve. We are also able to provide information to schools, other educational facilities and other professionals as requested and appropriate. Recognising that development is a continuous journey, we are committed to providing ongoing support and feedback to families. Our programmes are flexible, adapting to the evolving needs of each child as they grow. We conduct regular assessments to monitor progress and refine our approaches, ensuring that our interventions remain aligned with the child's developmental stage and personal goals.
Through our comprehensive capacity building and skill development programmes, Side by Side Therapy aims to lay a solid foundation for children to thrive academically, socially, and emotionally, preparing them for a successful future.
WORKSHOPS
Side by Side periodically offers low-cost workshops for the community. These workshops are small, hands-on and practical, and include take-home resources. Upcoming workshops for term four include:
Healing Hearts: Parenting Through Trauma
Supporting and nurturing children through trauma.
School Success: Overcoming Refusal and Struggles
Strategies to help children who struggle with or refuse to attend school.
Bedtime Blues: Strategies for a Peaceful Night
Techniques to establish and maintain peaceful bedtime routines.
Empowerment Hour: Advocacy and Support for Parents
Equipping parents with advocacy skills to support their children effectively.
Parent Power: Self-Care Strategies for Busy Parents
Practical tips and techniques for parents to take care of their own well-being.
Side by Side Therapy also offers workshops for teachers, schools and other professionals at Side by Side or off-site at schools or organisations on request.
We have previously run the following popular workshops:
Play for Parents: Engaging Your Child Through Play
Engaging children through play to strengthen parent-child bonds, encourage emotional processing and motor development.
Demystifying NDIS: Navigating the System with Confidence
Understanding and navigating the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS).
My Child is Neurodivergent, Now What?
Guidance and strategies for parents of neurodivergent children, with a focus on parenting Autistic children and/or children with ADHD.
Teen Time: Navigating Autism in Adolescence
Learn practical strategies to support and empower your autistic teen through the unique challenges and transitions of adolescence.
PDA Parenting: Strategies for Success
Parenting strategies for children with Pathological Demand Avoidance (PDA).
Calm Kids: Strategies for Easing Anxiety
Techniques to help children manage and reduce anxiety.
Sibling Shenanigans: Turning Rivalry into Fun
Managing and reducing sibling rivalry through fun activities.
Growing with ADHD: Empowering Your Child
Parenting strategies for children with ADHD.
PARENT & CARER SUPPORT
Side by Side Therapy offers individualised, one-on-one support for parents and carers. We approach support sessions with empathy and curiosity, aiming to provide support that is practical and specific. These sessions can be regular or as needed.
Side by Side also offers a private, safe and welcoming space for carer and parent support group sessions. These can be facilitated with topics for discussion, casual for coffee and connection, or a mixture of both. We welcome child-free or child in attendance, or we can arrange on-site child-minding during support sessions on request. Sessions are participant-led so parents can bring questions or just come and connect with other parents. It is not necessary to be a client of Side by Side to attend.
We currently have several free parent/carer groups running, including those for support and connection, facilitated discussions and information sessions, and those just for parents/carers to catch up over a cuppa.
Side by Side Therapy also offers workshops for parents or carers on request.
Parent sessions can be formal sessions where Anita provides psychoeducation surrounding trauma-informed and responsive parenting, child development, creating an emotionally supportive environment, developing positive parenting strategies, and presentation of mental health disorders and/or disability in children.
These sessions are not therapy, and are for parenting-related challenges, including support with children who:
- struggle with sleep, whether it is getting to sleep, staying asleep or sleeping alone.
- struggle with food-related issues.
- have trouble with meltdowns and/or tantrums.
- struggle with emotional regulation and/or sensory issues.
- are questioning or exploring his/her/their identity.
- have behaviours of concerns.
- have challenges relating to mental health and/or disability.
Anita supports parents and carers in learning strategies to support developing play, social overtures like initiating joint attention or seeking help, empowering, identifying and using strengths and/or working through struggles of all kinds. Her work with parents is based on the belief that everyone is doing the best they can with what they have, and once we know more or better, we can all grow together.
Sessions can also be more informal, where parents can bring questions, or just come and connect with other parents to chat and share stories.
Side by Side also offers fee-free parent groups available on request and add more group based on interest and on request. We have had some great parent play sessions as well!
Assessments
Anita is able to conduct a variety of play and other assessments for children. She is able to complete functional capacity assessments, adaptive behaviour assessments, psychosocial assessments, assessments of play, and other assessments within her scope and training. These report can be used for NDIS evidence, school support or intervention recommendations.
Assessments
Anita is registered with Pearson Clinical (level B), Western Psychological Services (WPS, level C), and Australian Council for Education Research (ACER, Masters S4 level, social work and psychology) for the purpose of purchasing and using assessments as an accredited mental health social worker with additional training in assessment and data analysis.
Assessments at Side by Side Therapy are conducted to gain insight and inform therapeutic response plans, treatment or intervention, and not for the purpose of diagnosis. Assessments completed may form part of a broader battery of tests, as part of a multi-disciplinary team, to inform diagnosis but should not be considered diagnostic on their own. Assessments may be conducted as part of a Mental Health Care Plan or NDIS Plan, or independently. More information about the assessments Anita is able to conduct can be found here.
Supervision & Consultation
Anita offers clinical supervision and consultations for social workers, counsellors, allied health professionals, and play therapists. She is a member of the Australian Clinical Supervision Association, and has completed advanced training in supervision for mental health practitioners through the Australian Association of Social Workers.
Supervision and Consultation
Anita is a member of the Australian Clinical Supervision Association, and has completed advanced training in supervision for mental health practitioners through the Australian Association of Social Workers. She offers clinical supervision and consultations for social workers and play therapists. She specialises in working with social workers and/or play therapists who are considering setting up their own private practice, or are just starting in private practice, or are newly graduated or certified and exploring where they fit in the social work or play therapy world. She supports social workers and play therapists work through complex cases.
Anita works with social workers who are working towards their mental health accreditation, want to add assessments to their toolbox, or need support navigating the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS). She offers supervision to social workers and play therapists wanting support writing play therapy reports, understanding the NDIS as a play therapist, and conducting risk assessments in play therapy.
She can provide regular supervision or as needed consultation for complex cases requiring case conceptualisation and consultation.
We’re different…
As a therapy practice, Side by Side Therapy is unique.
We understand that attending therapy is hard for some people, and we will work hard to make you feel safe. Here are some of the things you can expect from working with the Side by Side team:
We try to have as much fun as we can at work, and we encourage our clients to be open to enjoying therapy and celebrate the wins along the way.
We practice integrative therapy, which is needs-based, so looks and feels different for everyone, and respects clients’ voices, pace, wants and needs.
We focus on strengths, building our clients’ resilience, and collaboratively finding ways to meet unmet needs and teach lagging skills.
We are able to work with multiple funding options, plan and self managed NDIS, Medicare, Open Arms Veteran Affairs, Child Protection, and some health funds.