Group Therapy
Group therapy brings together people in a supportive environment, to share experiences, instil hope and learn from others. Allowing people to overcome challenges and build capacity, through mutual support and guided programs.
2024: Term 4
Early Primary School Foodies – Wednesdays
Is your child a picky or fussy eater? Are mealtimes a challenge at home? Our Early Primary-school Foodies group is an engaging, play-based feeding program for 5-7 year old’s based upon the Sequential-Oral-Sensory (SOS) approach. This group aims to support you and your family to interact with new foods alongside peers, explore a range of textures, tastes and smells, and develop greater confidence for successful mealtimes in your home.
Jump Start for High School – Preparing for year 7
High school can be a tricky place to adapt too. Our program is a fun, interactive group, that provides creative ways for understand ourselves in a learning environment and create a tool kit of options to thrive at high school. We support Grade 6 students and their parents in preparing for the exciting transition to Year 7. Our Jumpstart for High School Program is designed to build knowledge, skills, and confidence, ensuring students thrive in their new high school environment.
Youth Mental Health First Aid – Virtual group in October, Geelong 27th-28th November
Our Youth Mental Health First Aid course equips adults who teach, care for, or support young people with the knowledge, skills, and confidence to recognize and respond to mental health problems and crises in adolescents. This course teaches participants to provide initial support to young people (aged 12-18) experiencing mental health issues until professional help is available. Participants learn to identify signs and symptoms of common mental health problems, respond to crises, and understand available treatments and supports.
Art Ink Torquay – NEW GROUP – Wednesdays
A weekly group for girls aged 8-12 years to create art and cool things, explore their identity, build self-esteem, explore friendships and build friendship skills. 8-12 year old girls who love to create and be art and would also benefit from a supported space to feel safe and understood, explore their social and emotional skills in real life settings with therapists.
2025: Summer Holidays
Skills for School – Tuesdays/Wednesdays/Thursdays
Are you and your child getting ready to start school in 2025? Our Skills for School Group program focusses on supporting you and your child to build upon a range of skills in preparation for their upcoming transition to prep. In our classroom we look at a child’s social engagement, table top skills, ability to follow routines and instructions, and basic communication with peers, amongst many other key areas in preparation for school. Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday mornings.
Constructing Connections – 8 to 12 year olds
Constructing Connection Group at Allay Occupational Therapy, for 8 to 12 year olds, run every school holidays.
We celebrate diversity and inclusion while fostering collaboration, teamwork, and leadership among young people. Our group is designed to empower participants by building insights into emotional regulation, empathy, communication, and negotiation.
Art Ink Torquay – NEW GROUP – TBC
A weekly group for girls aged 8-12 years to create art and cool things, explore their identity, build self-esteem, explore friendships and build friendship skills. 8-12 year old girls who love to create and be art and would also benefit from a supported space to feel safe and understood, explore their social and emotional skills in real life settings with therapists.
2025: Term 1
Mental Health First Aid – Face to Face Geelong – February 5th-6th
Our Mental Health First Aid course equips adults who teach, care for, or support young people with the knowledge, skills, and confidence to recognize and respond to mental health problems and crises in adolescents. This course teaches participants to provide initial support to people experiencing mental health issues until professional help is available. Participants learn to identify signs and symptoms of common mental health problems, respond to crises, and understand available treatments and supports.
Jump Start for High School – Preparing for year 7
High school can be a tricky place to adapt too. Our program is a fun, interactive group, that provides creative ways for understand ourselves in a learning environment and create a tool kit of options to thrive at high school. We support Grade 6 students and their parents in preparing for the exciting transition to Year 7. Our Jumpstart for High School Program is designed to build knowledge, skills, and confidence, ensuring students thrive in their new high school environment.
Youth Mental Health First Aid – Blended Online – February 17th-18th
Our Youth Mental Health First Aid course equips adults who teach, care for, or support young people with the knowledge, skills, and confidence to recognize and respond to mental health problems and crises in adolescents. This course teaches participants to provide initial support to young people (aged 12-18) experiencing mental health issues until professional help is available. Participants learn to identify signs and symptoms of common mental health problems, respond to crises, and understand available treatments and supports.
Circle of Security
The Circle of Security (COS) program offers you this map to understand what your children need from you emotionally at any given time and tools to meet that need. The program is based on decades of research about how secure parent-child relationships can be supported and strengthened and aims to help you:
- Understand your child’s emotional world by learning to read emotional needs
- Support your child’s ability to successfully manage emotions
- Enhance the development of your child’s self esteem
- Honour your innate wisdom and desire for your child to be secure
What is the role of an Allay Occupational Therapist?
Allay provides group therapy for children, adolescents and adults. We have designed our courses to enhance wellbeing, improve life skills and develop greater social functioning. Utilising the power of groups to promote capacity building, build connection, and learn from others.
Programs are tailored to age groups and conditions to ensure that there is focus on meaningful areas that present at varying stages of life. Pre-assessment is also completed to gather individual goals that can be incorporated in to the design of the program.