Children & Families
When worries, strong emotions or changes in behaviour begin to affect your child's friendships, school or everyday life, it can be difficult to know what support to seek.
Counselling offers space to explore what is happening through play, conversation and parent involvement, matched to the child and practitioner.
Children's counselling at Discovery Family Therapy takes place in South Perth, with online appointments where suitable.
Children experience changes in mood and behaviour as they grow. Professional advice is worth seeking when difficulties persist, cause distress or interfere with daily activities and relationships. A GP can help identify the appropriate support if you are unsure where to begin.
Reasons parents seek counselling include:
A child's session can include play, drawing, creative activities, conversation and practising emotional skills. Play-based work provides ways to communicate beyond answering questions or finding the right words.
The practitioner considers the child's age, communication preferences, relationships and everyday experiences when deciding how to work with them. Parent appointments provide a separate opportunity to discuss concerns and support at home.
Depending on the child and practitioner, the work may focus on:
South Perth · Online where suitable
Compassionate, evidence-informed support for children, young people and families.
Children and Teen Counsellor
Senior Counsellor and Mental Health Occupational Therapist
Principal Family Counsellor
We begin with you. This first appointment helps us understand your child, your family and what support can help.
Using play, creativity, gentle conversation and practical skills, matched to your child's age and needs, at their pace.
We review progress together every few weeks and keep strategies simple enough to use in real family moments.
For younger children, the first counselling appointment is usually with a parent or carer. This allows time to explain what has been happening, share relevant background and discuss the support being sought before the child attends.
The practitioner then discusses the next steps, including child sessions, parent involvement and review appointments. These arrangements differ between practitioners and between children.
For an older child or teenager, read about teen counselling. Confirm the first appointment type and who should attend before booking.
Parent involvement can include explaining concerns at intake, discussing support at home and reviewing progress. It is balanced with the child's privacy and the purpose of their sessions.
If you are seeking counselling for yourself as a parent, explore parent support. Where relationships between family members are the main focus, read about family counselling.
Sessions are tailored to your child. Depending on age and need, a session might include play, art, creative activities, gentle conversation or skill-building. The counsellor takes time to build trust at your child's pace.
Some of our practitioners list a minimum age of five. Contact the practice to discuss your child's age and the support you are seeking before joining a waiting list.
The content of a child's sessions is not automatically passed on to parents. The practitioner explains confidentiality, parent involvement and circumstances where information may need to be shared for safety or legal reasons. Read the confidentiality policy for children, young people and families.
Discuss the number and frequency of appointments with the practitioner. Ask how frequently sessions are recommended and how progress will be reviewed before committing to ongoing appointments.
Raise this before arranging the child's appointment. A parent-only discussion gives you space to explain what your child is concerned about and discuss the appropriate next step with the practitioner.
No referral is required for privately paid counselling. You can book directly online or get in touch with us to arrange a first parent session.
Discovery Family Therapy is not a registered NDIS provider. We work with self-managed and plan-managed participants where the service is appropriate. Whether a particular appointment can be funded depends on the support and the funding in your plan. Confirm this before booking.
Online appointments are available where suitable for the child, practitioner and appointment type. Ask about suitability when arranging the appointment. In-person sessions take place at our South Perth clinic.
This page describes counselling and play-based support. The practitioners' roles and qualifications are listed above. Discovery Family Therapy does not offer psychological testing or diagnostic assessments.
Book directly if you know what you need, or tell us a little about what is happening for your child and we will help you choose.
Teen CounsellingDirect support for teenagers, on their terms.
Parent SupportSupport for you as a parent, not just your child.
Family CounsellingSupport for the whole family system.
Neurodivergent SupportNeuro-affirming support for the whole family.
Divorce & SeparationChild-inclusive support through separation.
