Our Children's Service

Talk and Play Therapy 

We understand that starting intervention can feel a little uncertain, and it’s natural to wonder what it will involve. Our sessions are designed for tamariki and their whānau to participate together, creating a safe and supportive space for everyone. Rather than just talking, tamariki engage in play-based activities that help them explore feelings, learn new skills, and build confidence. 

Clinicians  

Our compassionate and skilled team of clinicians come from a range of professional backgrounds, including social work, counselling, art therapy, and psychology. They bring specialist experience in working with tamariki, whānau, and wider support networks. 

Therapeutic approaches 

Stop draws on a range of evidence-based approaches, including Synergetic Play Therapy, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Play Therapy, Art Therapy, Sandtray techniques, Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy (DDP), and Māori cultural models of practice. All interventions are strengths-based, trauma-informed, and tailored to the unique needs of tamariki and their whānau, ensuring everyone is supported in a way that feels safe, meaningful, and empowering. 

All client information is treated as confidential, except in the following circumstances:

• When a client/ whānau member provides consent for information to be shared with a specific organization or individual
• When disclosure is required by law
• When a report of concern is raised
• When there is a threat to harm oneself or another person

Yes. Our Tamariki / Children's service is funded by Oranga Tamariki and Te Whatu Ora Health ensuring there is no cost to clients for accessing support.

Our brief interventions can be conducted online, to support parents, whānau or caregivers’ access to the advice and support required.

If intervention for tamariki is recommended, in person sessions are facilitated with both tamariki and their parents/ caregivers, no online options are available.

Yes. We work with boys, girls, and tamariki of all gender identities.

Yes. We work from a systemic approach, recognizing that parents, whānau and guardians are an imperative part of the therapeutic process. Intervention sessions are held with both whānau / caregivers and tamariki.

No. Concerning sexual behaviors in children are often linked to underlying factors such as emotional distress, difficulty regulating emotions, family difficulties, past trauma, struggles at school or social difficulties. In many cases, these behaviors are a way for tamariki to cope with or respond to these life experiences.

Our role, alongside the child’s whānau, is to find out what the function of the concerning sexualised behaviour is and to address the underlying need for the child in a developmentally healthy and safe manner and provide guidance to whānau to prevent further concerning sexualized behaviors.

No. Sexualised behaviour in tamariki does not always indicate that tamariki themselves has experienced sexual harm. Tamariki may engage in such behaviour for a range of reasons, including developmental curiosity, exposure to sexual content, or emotional distress. It is important that any concerns are explored in a safe, non-judgmental way to best understand the underlying causes and ensure the right support is made available. That said, sexual victimisation is in the background of some of our clients and addressing the impacts of that can be part of tamariki becoming safer with their own behaviours.

Yes. Stop recognizes and celebrates the diversity of our clients’ needs, providing culturally responsive, accessible and inclusive services that meet the needs of all communities – including tangata whaikaha (intellectual, physical disability, neurodiversity and learning difficulties), LGBTQIA+, Māori and Pasifika, Refugee, faith-based and migrant and multi-cultural communities.

Stop has taken the Pride Pledge, a values-based commitment that demonstrates our dedication to the safety, visibility, and inclusion of rainbow members of our community and workforce.

We aspire to integrate the principles of Te Tiriti o Waitangi within our practice, through the integration of Māori frameworks and models, ensuring our ongoing commitment to safe cultural practice. We prioritize safe, evidence-based care, recognizing the importance of whānau, community, and cultural context in supporting positive change and wellbeing for all clients.