Play Therapy

Working closely with patients and their families, Play Therapists provide distraction to minimise anxiety and fear, help keep patients safe, prepare and support patients for procedures, provide emotional support and create positive fun and meaningful experiences.

Each individual patient is respected, nurtured, and supported, recognising their unique needs, personality, preferences, cultural values, and capabilities to allow children to be themselves through play-based activities.

More than arts and crafts

The Women’s and Children’s Hospital currently has eleven dedicated Play Therapists who work hard to ensure that every child who enters the Hospital has access to the tools they need to express themselves.

Rather than eliminating unpleasant feelings altogether, the goal of the Play Therapy service is to allow children to ‘feel what they feel’ and give them a safe space to communicate this without becoming overwhelmed.

Read more

Read Maddie's story

At two-years-old Maddie was diagnosed with Stage 4 Neuroblastoma. She has now spent more than 415 days at the Women’s and Children’s Hospital.

Play Therapy played a crucial role in her recovery.

Read more

Support Arts in Health

Many parents who have had a seriously ill child, have described the Play Therapy program as a critical service to their child’s mental wellbeing and recovery while in the Hospital.

DONATE TODAY