Exciting News at Insight Therapies
We are thrilled to announce that our play therapist, Bessie, has now completed her certification in the Learn To Play Therapy approach – a powerful new dimension to our child-centred work here at Insight Therapies Counselling and Consultancy.
What is Learn To Play Therapy?
Learn To Play Therapy is grounded in decades of clinical research and practice, developed by Karen Stagnitti.
At its heart, this model focuses on pretend play (also known as imaginative or symbolic play) – the kind of play where children use objects as something else, create play scenes, assume roles, and interact with peers in meaning-rich ways.
Key features of the approach:
- A child-centred, responsive way of working: the therapist joins the child in play, meets them where they are, responds to their cues and interests.
- A focus on the child’s strengths and passions rather than simply teaching them to “fit in.”
- A developmental framework that identifies how pretend play evolves and how it links to broader skills: language, self-regulation, problem-solving, social awareness.
- A neuro-diversity affirming stance: children are respected and accepted as they are, rather than being encouraged to mask or hide their differences.
From the “For Parents” section:
“Being playful with your child is enjoyable and helps to strengthen the bond between you and your child.”
“For some children, play may be very difficult … supporting them within their sphere of interests helps to bring a deeper engagement and joy in play…” learntoplaytherapy.com
In short, Learn To Play Therapy provides not just sessions, but a meaningful pathway for children to grow their capacity for spontaneous, intentional, self-initiated play – and through that, to strengthen their social, emotional, cognitive and regulatory skills.
What this means for families at Insight Therapies
With Bessie now certified in this approach, we are able to bring this specialised way of working into our service offerings. What does that look like in practice?
- Tailored play-based sessions: Bessie will be working alongside children, using their interests, harnessing strengths, and scaffolding pretend-play capacity in a warm, responsive environment.
- Parent/carer collaboration: Rather than play being something that happens to the child, we’ll actively involve you – the parent or carer — in supporting your child’s play development, strengthening the connection between home, therapy and day-to-day life.
- Neuro-affirming practice: Whether your child is neuro-typical or neuro-divergent, this approach honours their unique being and supports their growth without asking them to hide or conform in ways that may be harmful.
- Broader developmental gains: Because pretend play acts as a foundation for language, narrative thinking, self-regulation and social engagement, our work in this space is not just about play – it is about fostering resilience, autonomy and joy in play and beyond.
Why we’re excited
As a practice committed to high-quality, inclusive, and evidence-informed support for children and families, this certification is a wonderful addition to our team’s expertise. We believe that play is not just a fun activity — it is a meaningful pathway for development, healing and connection.
Having Bessie skilled in Learn To Play Therapy means we can offer something more: a way for children to explore, grow, experiment, adapt and thrive – all through the lens of play, in a way that honours who they are.
We are proud of Bessie’s commitment and look forward to seeing the positive impact this will have on the children and families we work with.
What to do next
If you have a child who:
- finds play hard, or doesn’t seem to take off with pretend play
- enjoys playing but you’d like to see them engaging more with peers, extending their play ideas, initiating play more often
- is neuro-divergent and you want support for play in a respectful, affirming way
then please reach out. Bessie is ready to bring this approach to life at Insight Therapies.
📞 Phone: 0492 881 360
🌐 Website: insighttherapiesvic.com.au
We’d be delighted to talk with you about how Learn To Play Therapy might support your child’s development, strength and joy in play.
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