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Anne Muscatello
 Contact & Location Information
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| Contact Name | Anne Muscatello |
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| Servicing Areas | East Bentleigh, Victoria |
| Mobile | 0417 126 204 |
Enriching and empowering the lives of children & parents:
Anne works with children and parents with a focus on play therapy and holistic counselling.
Anne works with children and parents with a focus on play therapy and holistic counselling.
Anne Muscatello
ANNE MUSCATELLO: Early Childhood Specialist Child, Play Therapist/Holistic Counsellor
Anne Muscatello is a qualified early childhood specialist and child therapist/counsellor with 16 years experience working with children in the areas of public and private early childhood education/ development, the public health system and various support organisations. Her experience includes working with children aged from infancy to adolescence with varied developmental needs, and providing supervision for students training in the play therapy field. In addition, Anne also provides early childhood consulting to families and affiliated networks in the wider community, and is responsible for developing and facilitating The Circle of Friends Program-Social skills & Resilience Program
Qualifications:
- Bachelor of Early Childhood Studies
- Graduate Diploma of Psychological Studies
- Diploma in Children’s Holistic Counselling
- Certificate IV in Training and Assessment
Professional Associations:
- MAHHCA (Australian Holistic Healers and Counsellors Association)
- Associate Member Play Therapy International/Australasia
Modality: Play Therapy and Holistic Counselling
Play is a natural process by which children relate to and understand their world. For varied reasons, children may have difficulty in articulating their feelings arising from issues and/or situations they have faced or are facing and as a result their behaviour is altered.
Counselling through play allows children to create a world where they can work through their feelings and discover their own solutions. Play provides the opportunity to assist and guide children in restoring their sense of well being by utilising their innate ability to heal and grow.
The therapeutic relationship, which develops between child and counsellor, forms the foundation from which the child’s growth and healing can occur. The counsellor is able to view the child’s world and maintain the safety, trust and respect necessary. This allows the child to externalise their inner experiences and associated feelings. In addition, with the child’s direction the counsellor may also join in with the child’s play.
These counselling sessions are conducted in a room specifically furnished with a collection of toys and equipment. These creative play tools are necessary to assist children in symbolically representing and expressing their thoughts/feelings in a safe and supportive environment. Through play, Anne’s role is to assist children to learn more adaptive behaviors in which to process their understanding of any emotional and/or social difficulties they may be experiencing.
Play therapy has been utilised as a primary and adjunctive therapy for several conditions and issues such as anger management, grief and loss, crisis and trauma, and in addition for modification of behavioural issues/disorders such as anxiety, depression, attention deficit hyperactivity (ADHD), autism or pervasive developmental disorders. Play therapy can also assist with educational, social, developmental, physical and learning disabilities, as well as conduct disorders. Research supports the effectiveness of play therapy with children experiencing a wide variety of social, emotional, behavioral, and learning issues including: children whose problems are related to life stressors, such as divorce, death, hospitalisation, chronic illness, physical and sexual abuse, domestic violence, and natural disasters. Play Therapy does not aim to change the experience however offers children/adolescents the opportunity to process and assimilate their understanding of issues.
Additional Therapy Focus Areas:
*Attachment Issues *Communication difficulties* Delayed language, *Child parent relationships/Parenting skills *Emotional distress *Play Development *Self esteem issues*Separation Anxiety *Social adjustment/integration issues*Social skills
Benefits of Play Therapy & Holistic Counselling:
- Creates or enhances healthy bonding and attachment in relationships
- Develops a sense of trust in self and others
- Fosters empathy and respect for thoughts and feelings of others.
- Assists in identifiying, developing and implementing positive behavior management strategies
- Reduces anxiety associated with traumatic events in the child's life
- Improves ability to communicate effectively
- Facilitates conflict resolution and problem solving skills
- Promotes appropriate behaviours whilst encouraging self confidence, self worth and a sense of competence
Length of therapy
Each counselling session usually lasts 50 minutes. Research suggests that it takes from 12-20 sessions to resolve the problems of the typical child referred for treatment however this is determined by the needs and circumstances of each child. Some children may show improvement in a short-term period, whilst more complex issues may take longer to resolve. During a child’s counselling sessions, behaviour may appear to become worse initially before improvement becomes evident. Any concerns may be discussed with the therapist/counsellor.
Parents Role
Parents/carers play an important role in the process of their children’s counselling sessions, where support and encouragement assists in enhancing the child’s work. The counsellor meets regularly with parents/carers and discusses ideas and observations. Parent feedback is important in conveying any observable changes to the counsellor about the child’s home life. Anne is able to then translate the child's play for the parents and provide age appropriate suggestions on how to support the child's therapy at home.
SOCIAL SKILLS PROGRAMS
Using a developmentally appropriate play based approach, The Circle of Friends Program focuses on building self esteem and resilience in children. It aims to enrich children's confidence in establishing and/or enhancing the ability to express and manage their emotions resulting in positive social and relationship building experiences. Programs available for pre school and primary aged children.
The program runs during school terms and only proceeds with a minimum 4 enrolments to ensure an optimum environment and opportunity for children to effectively engage within the social dynamic.
EARLY CHILDHOOD CONSULTATIONS
Anne also assists by offering consultations with the aim of supporting parents. Anne provides guidance, strategies and skills relating to child behaviour and development with the aim of fostering appropriate child interactions to nurture, enhance and enrich the parent-child relationship.
SPEAKING OPPORTUNITIES
Anne also offers consulting to parent groups, educational networks and
affiliated organisations discussing play therapy and child development issues. Anne is dedicated to offering quality services which are specifically tailored to reflect the needs, interests and diversity of each individual and group.
Service Categories
Counselling
