Supporting children, teens and adults in developing essential motor, sensory, cognitive, and daily living skills through play-based and functional therapy. Empowering independence and confidence every step of the way!
Specialized support for children (0-9 years) to build essential motor, sensory, cognitive, school readiness and social skills during critical developmental years. Laying the foundation for lifelong success!
Comprehensive evaluations to identify strengths, challenges, and therapy needs. Our detailed reports support NDIS funding applications and guide personalized intervention plans for growth and success!
Play therapy is a gentle, evidence-based approach using play—a child’s natural language—to help kids express emotions, process experiences, and heal when words are hard. In a safe, child-led space, it builds emotional regulation, resilience, and social skills while easing anxiety and behavioural challenges. Parent coaching and practical strategies strengthen family connections and daily wellbeing.
Bethany holds a Master of Occupational Therapy and a Bachelor of Health Science (majoring in Psychology) from the University of Sydney. With over 10 years of experience, she has worked extensively with children, adolescents, adults, and their families in community and private practice settings. She is also certified in the Therapeutic Listening program.
Bethany takes a deeply family-centred, whole-person approach that integrates developmental and mental health support. She is especially passionate about parent coaching and family guidance—partnering with parents and caregivers to build confidence, understanding, and practical everyday strategies drawn from evidence-based occupational therapy and neuroscience. Bethany also loves equipping teachers and early childhood educators through tailored workshops and professional development, helping everyone in a child’s world create responsive, nurturing environments.
Her special interests include sensory processing, mental health and wellbeing, trauma-informed care, and sleep—areas she seamlessly weaves together to provide holistic, compassionate support for children and the parents who champion them.
Kara is a dedicated educator with over 19 years of experience in early childhood and primary education. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Early Childhood Education with a Minor in Inclusive Education from Charles Sturt University.
Her career spans diverse settings, including preschools, daycares, primary schools, special education units, and a community liaison role. She has taught in rural and remote areas across NSW, the Northern Territory, and Queensland, as well as in a Bangkok school with 3,000 students—a career highlight.
Awarded NESA Proficient Teacher Accreditation in 2013, Kara is passionate about inclusive, high-quality learning experiences. She has lived and worked on the Far South Coast of NSW for 12 years and is currently expanding her skills by completing a Certificate II in Auslan through Deaf Connect.
Outside of teaching, she enjoys time on her family’s farm, surrounded by loved ones and their menagerie of animals.
With 15 years of experience as a social worker supporting children and families, Valerie brings warmth, empathy, and deep expertise to her play therapy practice. Originally from Austria and now a proud Australian resident of 20 years, Valerie is also a mother of two teenagers—this lived experience enriches her understanding of the joys and challenges families face every day.
Valerie is wholeheartedly dedicated to children’s health, development, wellbeing, and safety. She works through a humanistic, trauma-informed, culturally safe, and attachment-based lens, always keeping the individual child at the centre. Using a child-led, non-directive play therapy approach, she honours play as a child’s natural language, creating safe and nurturing spaces where children can express big feelings, process experiences, build resilience, and thrive.
Just as importantly, Valerie partners closely with parents and caregivers through tailored coaching and guidance. She loves translating play therapy principles and attachment theory into practical, everyday strategies that strengthen connection, reduce stress, and help the whole family flourish. Valerie also offers parent workshops and professional development for educators, empowering the adults in a child’s world to become confident co-regulators and champions of their child’s growth.
At Break Through Therapy, we are dedicated to breaking through barriers that prevent individuals from reaching their full potential. We provide mobile therapy and early intervention services across the Bega Valley, supporting children and individuals with personalized, goal-driven care to enhance independence, confidence, and quality of life.
Break Through Occupational Therapy ABN: 15 142 251 897
