Thrive was created with a mission:
To offer a safe space where children can share their stories through play,
providing them and their caregivers the support needed to
navigate life with more ease and confidence.
Thrive’s story began during Emma’s maternity leave, a time marked by deep reflection. As a social worker, she wasn’t burnt out from the challenging work or the traumatic experiences she witnessed, but from the systemic barriers that prevented timely and effective intervention for children.
She saw a need for a service that did more than manage symptoms – it needed to support children to share their stories and lead their own healing through play.
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Passionate about play as a child’s most natural language, she envisioned a practice centred on thriving, using play and narrative therapy to support deep, meaningful change.
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Driven by a passion to create a space where children and families would not just survive but truly thrive, Emma established Thrive Therapeutic Play + Family Support.
Here each child’s story is heard and valued and therapy is a tool for rewriting the narrative for children who have seen too much, too soon.
WHY THRIVE?
Direct Support through Play
At Thrive, we use play therapy not just as a treatment method but as a way for children to lead their healing, allowing them to express emotions safely and at their own pace using their most natural language.
Expertise in Child Trauma
With a decade of experience in social work focused on trauma, we bring a deep understanding of the challenges faced by children who have experienced traumatic events, whether in care or due to personal circumstances.
Collaborative Approach
We collaborate closely with caregivers and other professionals to foster a multidisciplinary team approach, enhancing our ability to provide comprehensive and effective support.
Commitment to Meaningful Change
Our practice is built on the belief that every child deserves to thrive. We offer personalised, in-depth support that respects each child’s pace and story.
Meet Emma
The heart and soul behind
Thrive Therapeutic Play + Family Support
Emma is a registered Social Worker and Play Therapist with over a decade of experience working with children and families impacted by trauma.
Her career began unexpectedly whilst supporting children affected by Agent Orange in Vietnam.
Emma instantly fell in love with the resilience, spirit and cheekiness of this group of kids despite their experiences, and knew working with children needed to be in her future.
"Many don’t know this, but my first experience with seeing how powerful play could be came while I was working in Vietnam.
My Vietnamese was terrible and the children didn’t speak English, but play was our common language. Seeing first-hand how much impact play could have convinced me of its necessity."
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"I opened Thrive to create a safe space for children to share their stories, at their own pace using play as their language. My background in child protection has given me a unique perspective on how important it is for a child to share and know their story and I bring this understanding to every session.
I love hearing about a child’s wins during their therapy journey, being invited to share in some of families most challenging moments is a privilege I never take for granted. Creating strong relationships with families and ensuring they feel seen, heard and valued is something so important to me.
My absolute favourite moments come from Therapeutic Life Story Work because nothing goes into the final life story book without a child’s approval, I love witnessing what parts of their story they want to keep and what parts they no longer need.
I can’t wait to witness the next stories that unfold at Thrive."
"Play is the language,
and the toys are the words"
Dr. Garry Landreth