Child Therapy for Family Separation & Divorce in Melbourne

​Steady Ground Child Therapy provides specialised child therapy in Melbourne for children experiencing family separation, divorce, and changes in family arrangements.

Neutral and Child-Focused Therapeutic Support

Steady Ground supports children experiencing family separation, family court processes and supervised visitation arrangements. Many children experiencing family separation can feel caught between different emotions, expectations, or loyalties.

Therapy provides a calm, neutral, and child-focused space where children can make sense of their experiences and express their feelings safely, without pressure to take sides or carry adult concerns.

Sessions are child-centred and developmentally appropriate, helping children build resilience and develop healthy ways of coping with change. The sessions remain focused on the child’s emotional well-being, and a neutral and non-judgmental approach is maintained at all times.

How Therapy Is Offered

Therapy sessions are offered as a confidential and supportive space where children can explore their feelings, make sense of changes in their family, and feel heard and understood. I provide non-reportable, child-centred therapy, meaning sessions are focused entirely on your child’s emotional wellbeing rather than documentation for external or legal use.

Notes are kept only as needed to support the therapeutic process and are not prepared for court, legal, or family report purposes. This approach allows children to feel safe and free to express themselves without pressure, particularly during times of family change.

Please note: In rare circumstances, a court may request access to records. In these situations, only minimal clinical notes would be provided, and I do not prepare formal reports.

Separated Families and Therapy Considerations

Steady Ground welcomes children from separated families (including those with parenting plans or court orders) and recognises that some level of parental difference or conflict is common in these situations.

However, where there is high and ongoing parental conflict, or where current intervention orders are in place, therapy can become compromised. This may occur when the therapist is drawn into parental communication, differing agendas, or legal processes, which can impact the safety, neutrality, and effectiveness of the therapeutic space for the child.

To ensure children receive the most appropriate support, Steady Ground may refer families in these circumstances to specialised services experienced in working within high-conflict or legally complex contexts.

Wherever possible, therapy is most effective when both parents consent and can support the child’s participation and respect the boundaries of the therapeutic process.

Preparing Children for Supervised Contact Visits

Family separation can sometimes involve changes in routines, including contact visits with parents. Children may experience mixed emotions before or after these visits. Therapy at Steady Ground provides a safe space to prepare for upcoming visits, explore feelings, and process experiences afterwards.

Steady Ground Child Therapy supports families across Macleod, Heidelberg, Rosanna, Ivanhoe, Preston and surrounding Northern Suburbs.