About our approach
Our Therapeutic Approach
At Axis Therapeutic Services, we believe that children grow, heal, and thrive through relationships, movement, play, and connection — not through pressure or performance.
Our work is grounded in Neuro-Relational Play Therapy, an evidence-informed approach that recognises the developing brain, the importance of safe relationships, and the role of play in emotional and behavioural development.
Rather than asking children to “talk about” their experiences before they are ready, we meet them where they are developmentally — using play, movement, creativity, and connection as the primary language of therapy.
A Neuro-Relational Perspective
Children’s behaviour is communication.
Behind every big emotion, shutdown, or challenging behaviour is a nervous system doing its best to cope.
Our therapists work from a neurodevelopmental and attachment-informed lens, supporting children to:
Develop emotional regulation and body awareness
Build trust and relational safety
Strengthen executive functioning and impulse control
Process experiences through play rather than pressure
Build confidence, resilience, and self-understanding
We understand that lasting change happens when children feel safe, seen, and supported, not corrected or controlled.
Why We Use Play Therapy
Play is how children make sense of the world.
Through play, children:
Express feelings they can’t yet put into words
Practice problem-solving and emotional regulation
Explore relationships and boundaries
Build confidence and mastery
Integrate cognitive, emotional, and sensory experiences
Play therapy allows children to work through challenges in a developmentally appropriate way, while the therapist provides attuned support, guidance, and emotional safety.
When the Therapy Room Isn’t the Right Fit
Some children struggle to sit still, talk face-to-face, or engage in traditional clinical environments — and that’s okay.
For these children, therapy doesn’t need to stop.
It simply needs to move.
At Axis, we sometimes incorporate outdoor and nature-based therapeutic interventions when it better supports a child’s nervous system, engagement, and emotional regulation.
This may include:
Movement-based sessions
Nature play and exploration
Walk-and-talk therapy
Sensory-based outdoor activities
Regulation through rhythm, balance, and physical engagement
These approaches are especially helpful for children who:
Experience anxiety or emotional shutdown
Have high energy or sensory needs
Struggle with attention or impulse control
Feel overwhelmed in clinical or indoor settings
Nature provides a calming, regulating environment that supports nervous system balance and emotional expression — allowing therapy to feel safer, more accessible, and more effective.
A Flexible, Child-Led Approach
No two children are the same.
That’s why our therapy is:
Individualised – tailored to each child’s needs
Relational – grounded in trust and connection
Developmentally informed – aligned with how children grow
Strengths-based – building on what’s already working
Flexible – adapting the environment to support engagement
Whether inside the therapy room or outside in nature, our focus remains the same:
supporting children to feel safe, capable, and connected — so real growth can occur.
Our Philosophy in Practice
At Axis Therapeutic Services, we believe:
✔ Regulation comes before reasoning
✔ Connection comes before correction
✔ Play is a child’s natural language
✔ Safety is the foundation for change
✔ Growth happens through relationships