Riptide Therapeutic Services
Welcome To Riptide Therapeutic Services
Helping your child feel safe, understood, and ready to thrive
A warm, specialist space for children, young people and families in the Surf Coast and Colac-Otway regions.
Riptide Therapeutic Services offers Play Therapy, Child and Adolescent Counselling and Creative Therapy for children and young people, walking alongside neurotypical and neurodivergent kids, adolescents and their families through the challenges life brings.
Sessions are available in Jan Juc (Fridays) and Winchelsea (Wednesdays and Thursdays).
We’re here to help your family navigate the riptides, and find steadier ground.
Book a free 15 minute consultation
Is Riptide the best fit for my child?
You might be in the right place if your child is:
- Struggling with anxiety, worry or fear
- Having big emotional outbursts or shutting down completely
- Finding friendships or school difficult
- Processing a loss, family change or difficult experience
- Showing signs of trauma or distress
- Neurodivergent and needing support that truly understands them
Not sure if this fits your situation? Every family’s story is different, reach out and we’ll work it out together.
Book a free 15 minute consultation
How it works
Getting started is simpler than you might think.
1. Reach out Contact us with a bit of information about your child/young person and what’s been going on. There’s no referral needed to get in touch.
2. Free 15 minute initial consultation We’ll have a conversation (just you and Amy) to talk through your child’s needs, answer your questions and make sure Riptide feels like the right fit.
3. Begin therapy Your child starts their play therapy or counselling sessions in a warm, safe environment designed just for them. Amy will keep you informed every step of the way.
Book a free 15 minute consultation
Why Riptide?
Amy is an Accredited Mental Health Social Worker (AMHSW) and Registered Play Therapist (APTA), and the only practitioner with both qualifications specialising in children and young people in the Surf Coast and Colac-Otway region.
That means families here have access to genuinely specialist support, close to home.
Amy’s approach is trauma-informed, neuro-affirming and always led by the child/young person. Sessions feel less like therapy and more like a safe space where kids/young people can just be themselves, because that’s exactly where healing happens.
Fees and funding
There are several ways families access Riptide Therapeutic Services:
Medicare: Eligible children/young people with a Mental Health Care Plan from their GP can access Medicare rebates, reducing the out-of-pocket cost of sessions significantly.
NDIS: Riptide accepts NDIS funding for eligible participants. If your child/young person has an NDIS plan, play therapy and counselling may be funded under Improved Daily Living or Capacity Building – Supports. Please get in touch to discuss whether your plan covers our services.
Private payment: Sessions can also be accessed directly without a referral.
For current fee information or to find out what funding option might work for your family, get in touch, we’re happy to talk it through before you commit to anything.
Book a free 15 minute consultation
Areas Served
Riptide Therapeutic Services provides play therapy and child and adolescent counselling to families across the Surf Coast and Colac-Otway regions, including:
Surf Coast Shire Torquay, Jan Juc, Bells Beach, Anglesea, Aireys Inlet, Fairhaven, Moggs Creek, Eastern View, Lorne, Deans Marsh, Moriac, Winchelsea, Bellbrae, Freshwater Creek, Wensleydale, Bambra, Barrabool, Benwerrin, Big Hill, Boonah, Buckley, Gherang, Gnarwarre, Modewarre, Mount Moriac, Paraparap
Colac Otway Shire Colac, Colac East, Colac West, Elliminyt, Birregurra, Apollo Bay, Forrest, Beech Forest, Lavers Hill, Kennett River, Wye River, Skenes Creek, Skenes Creek North, Gellibrand, Carlisle River, Cressy, Beeac, Warrion, Irrewarra, Alvie, Balintore, Barongarook, Barongarook West, Barramunga, Barwon Downs, Barunah Plains, Bungador, Cape Otway, Carpendeit, Chapple Vale, Coragulac, Cororooke, Cundare, Dreeite, Eurack, Ferguson, Gerangamete, Glenaire, Hordern Vale, Irrewillipe, Johanna, Kawarren, Kennedys Creek, Larpent, Marengo, Murroon, Nalangil, Ondit, Pirron Yallock, Separation Creek, Stonyford, Sugarloaf, Swan Marsh, Tanybryn, Warncoort, Weeaproinah, Weering, Wingeel, Wongarra, Wye River, Wyelangta, Yeodene
Families from the Geelong region are also welcome.
Book a free 15 minute consultation
Ready to take the next step?
Reaching out is often the hardest part. Whether you have questions or you’re ready to book, we’d love to hear from you.