Child and Family PSYCHOLOGY

We provide a play based, and inviting environment for children, teenagers and adults to feel supported to work through life's challenges.

Our approach

Empowering children and families through stronger connections is at the heart of our psychology services at Connections WA.

We understand that every family journey is unique, and we’re dedicated to providing responsive, effective support.

Our experienced psychologists utilise a range of evidenced based therapeutic approaches tailored to your family’s needs, always with a focus on building positive relationships.

From foundational Psycho-education and practical Strategies to transformative therapies like Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Interpersonal Neurobiology, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT), Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing (EMDR), and Schema Therapy, we’re here to help.

Grounded in Interpersonal Neurobiology and a deeply Person-Centered approach, we guide families towards greater understanding, resilience, and genuine connection to themselves to flourish.

Psychological assessments

We conduct formal psychological assessments of cognitive, educational, and mental health functioning. Such assessments may be useful to identify assessments of IQ, giftedness, intellectual disability, learning difficulties, or injury impairment which can inform treatment recommendations. 

We provide comprehensive reports and work alongside the young person, the family and the school. We are also able to visit the school to undertake case conferences where needed.

Our Psychologists can assist with:

  • Understanding and Supporting ADHD Differences
  • Autistic Ways of Being
  • Navigating Intense Distress & Self-Protective Behaviours (NSSI)
  • Exploring Big Feelings & Differences in Expressing Needs (PDA)
  • Experiences of Low Mood, Worries, & Overwhelm (Depression, Anxiety and Panic)
  • Processing Grief, Loss, & Impact of Overwhelming Experiences (Trauma & Post-Traumatic Stress)
  • Developing Emotional Understanding & Flexible Responses
  • Supporting School Engagement & Comfort
  • Understanding & Guiding Challenging Behaviours 
  • Navigating Family Changes (Separation & Divorce) 
  • Resolving Family Communication & Interactions
  • Building Positive Peer Connections
  • Nurturing Healthy Relationships
  • Supporting Positive School Experiences 
  • Cultivating Self-Worth & Confidence 

Our Psychologist's are trained in:

  • Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
  • Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)
  • Trauma Focused Cognitive Behavioual Therapy (TF-CBT)
  • Emotionally Focused Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (EF-CBT)
  • Interpersonal Neurobiology
  • Gestalt and Humanistic
  • Internal Family Systems (IFS)
  • Mindfulness-Based (MBCT)
  • Narrative Therapy
  • Dialectal Behavioural Therapy (DBT)
  • Attachment Theory
  • Positive Psychology
  • Solution Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT)

What we do well

Your journey with us begins with parents attending a comprehensive clinical intake session with your psychologist.

Here, you’ll meet with an experienced practitioner who will listen carefully to understand your unique concerns. This initial conversation helps us ensure we are the best fit to support you and your family’s needs.

Following this, we work collaboratively with you to develop a personalised treatment plan. This plan incorporates evidence-based interventions tailored to your child and family, which we continuously review and track progress with, to ensure the best possible outcomes.

We believe that growth extends beyond the counselling room. That’s why we empower you with practical education, helpful visuals, and clear strategies to integrate therapeutic approaches into daily life. Your commitment to practicing these tools is a powerful investment, and we’re here to support you every step of the way.

We also value working alongside your child’s school and other professionals, offering assistance with school plans and ensuring a cohesive support network.

What to expect at your sessions

intake Meeting

The first clinical intake session will be with yourself as an adult client or if for a young person it will be with both parents (where possible) and therapist to assess needs and service provision. Please send in all reports (2 school/other therapists/referrals/NDIS plans) before your session (24 hrs).

session one

The second session will be with the young person, parents and therapists to discuss confidentiality, consent, build rapport, discuss therapy goals and undertake psychological assessments to develop a unique treatment plan.

Subsequent sessions

Parents are invited to provide updates at the beginning of the session. Depending upon the issue the young person may be on their own or together as a family. The team prefer parents to be involved as much as possible in therapy but also the young person may need time on their own.

FEEDBACK and Review

We frequently re-administer assessments to assess treatment outcomes and areas for growth. This may also include feedback from parents the young person schools and other professionals.

Ending

We encourage planned endings were we reflect upon growth, skills developed and prepare for any set backs to ensure you and your son/daughter have the skills necessary for the challenges of life.

What to expect at your sessions

  1. Intake Meeting

    The first clinical intake session will be with yourself as an adult client or, if for a young person, it will be with both parents (where possible) and therapist to assess needs and service provision. Please send in all reports (2 school/other therapists/referrals/NDIS plans) before your session (24 hrs).

  2. Session One

    The second session will be with the young person, parents and therapists to discuss confidentiality, consent, build rapport, discuss therapy goals and undertake psychological assessments to develop a unique treatment plan.

  3. Subsequent Sessions

    Parents are invited to provide updates at the beginning of the session. Depending upon the issue, the young person may be on their own or together as a family. The team prefer parents to be involved as much as possible in therapy, but also the young person may need time on their own.

  4. Feedback and Review

    We frequently re-administer assessments to assess treatment outcomes and areas for growth. This may also include feedback from parents, the young person, schools, and other professionals.

  5. Ending

    We encourage planned endings where we reflect upon growth, skills developed, and prepare for any setbacks to ensure you and your son/daughter have the skills necessary for the challenges of life.

John Elder Robison
“Neurodiversity is the idea that neurological differences like autism and ADHD are the result of normal, natural variation in the human genome”
John Elder Robison — Author
From on therapy room
"We are all different. We must lean into our strengths and learn skills to help us flourish."
Andrea Groom — Psychologist
Albert Einstein
“Everyone is a genius. But if you judge a fish on its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid. ”
Albert Einstein — Theoretical physicist

We work with self and plan managed NDIS clients