Counsellor or psychologist for your child: needs, fit and funding
Choosing Between a Counsellor and Psychologist for Your Child’s NDIS Support
By Build N Bloom Child, Adolescent & Family Counselling · Originally published 7 August 2026
How families can choose the assessment or support actually needed
Start by asking what the appointment is meant to do: diagnosis, clinical mental-health treatment or disability-related functional support. These purposes can have different practitioners and funding paths. Ask about credentials, relevant child experience and how sessions will adapt to your child’s communication.
Agree how your child can show comfort, discomfort or a wish to pause. Review useful changes in everyday life rather than pressure to speak or comply. Check fees and the eligible service before booking; a plan manager can explain claims, but does not create funding approval.
Original article and dated context
Finding therapeutic support for your child can feel like a big decision, particularly when you are also trying to understand their NDIS plan. Many families begin their search believing they need to find a psychologist, but psychology is not the only option available.
Simone Whalley, Director and Principal Counsellor at Build N Bloom Child, Adolescent & Family Counselling, explains why the right choice often comes down to the individual therapist, their experience and how well they connect with your child.
Counsellor or psychologist: what does your child need?
Psychologists provide valuable services and may be the most appropriate choice when a child requires psychological assessment, cognitive testing or particular diagnostic services.
However, not every child seeking therapeutic support requires assessment or diagnosis.
Some children need a safe and supportive space where they can develop emotional skills, work through difficult experiences, build confidence and learn practical ways to manage everyday challenges. In these circumstances, a suitably qualified and experienced counsellor may be an excellent fit.
Rather than focusing only on a professional title, it can be helpful to ask:
“Who has the right qualifications, experience and therapeutic approach for my child?”
Can counselling be funded through the NDIS?
Counselling may be funded through an NDIS plan when the support meets the NDIS funding criteria, relates to the child’s disability and helps them work towards the goals in their plan.
NDIS funding is individual, which means the support available to one child may be different from the support available to another.
Before beginning counselling, families should check:
- Whether the support relates to their child’s NDIS goals
- Whether funding is available within the relevant part of the plan
- How the child’s plan is managed
- Whether the chosen provider can deliver services under that arrangement
A Support Coordinator, Plan Manager or NDIS representative may be able to help families understand how their child’s funding can be used. The NDIS advises that therapy supports must meet its funding criteria and be expected to produce functional outcomes related to the participant’s disability.
The therapist’s title is only part of the picture
Professional qualifications and registration are important, but they are not the only factors families should consider.
Every therapist brings a different combination of education, professional experience, specialised training and therapeutic methods. Some counsellors have postgraduate qualifications and extensive training in areas such as child development, trauma, family therapy, neurodiversity, play therapy and emotional regulation.
When considering a therapist, parents and carers may wish to ask:
- What qualifications and professional registrations do you hold?
- What experience do you have working with children?
- Have you supported children with similar needs?
- What therapeutic approaches do you use?
- How do you adapt sessions for different ages and communication styles?
- How will parents and carers be involved?
- How do you support progress towards the child’s goals?
These questions can provide a clearer picture of whether the therapist is likely to suit the child than their professional title alone.
Why the therapeutic relationship matters
For therapy to be effective, a child needs to feel safe, accepted and understood.
A therapist may have impressive qualifications, but if the child does not feel comfortable with them, it can be difficult to build trust and engage meaningfully in sessions.
A positive therapeutic relationship gives children the confidence to express themselves, try new strategies and explore emotions or experiences that may be difficult to explain.
This connection may take time to develop. Some children feel comfortable quickly, while others need several sessions before they begin to engage. A child-centred therapist will respect that process and allow the relationship to develop at a pace that feels safe for the child.
Children do not always communicate through conversation
Adults often use words to explain what they are feeling. Children may communicate very differently.
A child might express their emotions through behaviour, play, creativity, movement, stories or relationships. They may not yet have the words to explain why they feel worried, angry, overwhelmed or unsettled.
This is why traditional talk therapy is not always the most effective starting point for a child.
Depending on the therapist’s qualifications and training, child-centred counselling may include:
- Child-Centred Play Therapy
- LEGO®-Based Therapy
- Expressive arts and creative activities
- Sand tray therapy
- Games and storytelling
- Emotional regulation exercises
- Sensory and movement-based activities
- Parent and family support sessions
[Clickability update, October 2026: These are the contributor’s examples, not a list of automatically funded or equally evidenced interventions. The actual service, practitioner credentials, functional purpose and funding criteria matter. Read current NDIS therapy guidance.]
These approaches provide children with developmentally appropriate ways to explore their feelings and experiences.
They can also help children strengthen emotional awareness, confidence, resilience, coping skills and relationships without expecting them to communicate in the same way as an adult.
Supporting neurodivergent children and children who have experienced trauma
Formal or heavily conversation-based therapy environments can feel intimidating for some children.
Neurodivergent children may communicate, process information or express emotions in ways that differ from traditional expectations. Children who have experienced trauma may also find it difficult to talk directly about their feelings or experiences.
A flexible, trauma-informed and child-centred approach allows the therapist to respond to the individual child rather than expecting the child to fit a particular therapy model.
This may involve:
- Following the child’s interests
- Using visual or creative activities
- Providing predictable routines
- Allowing additional processing time
- Reducing pressure to speak
- Recognising behaviour as a form of communication
- Working gradually to develop trust and emotional safety
The aim is not to force participation. It is to create an environment in which the child feels secure enough to engage in a way that works for them.
Counselling can support the whole family
Children do not experience challenges in isolation. Their wellbeing is connected to their relationships, routines and environments.
For this reason, counselling may involve working with parents, carers or other family members as well as the child.
Parent and family sessions can help adults:
- Better understand the child’s emotional and behavioural needs
- Recognise possible triggers
- Respond consistently to difficult situations
- Support emotional regulation at home
- Strengthen communication and relationships
- Use practical strategies between sessions
Where appropriate and with the necessary consent, therapists may also collaborate with other people involved in the child’s support.
Working together can help create greater consistency across home, school and community settings. It also gives families practical tools that can support the child outside the therapy room.
When might counselling be appropriate?
A qualified child and family counsellor may be suitable when a child’s goals include:
- Managing anxiety, worry or overwhelming emotions
- Developing emotional regulation skills
- Building confidence and self-esteem
- Recovering from trauma or difficult experiences
- Developing social and relationship skills
- Understanding and expressing emotions
- Managing behavioural challenges
- Adjusting to family or life changes
- Strengthening family relationships
- Developing practical coping strategies
The therapist’s qualifications, training and experience should always align with the child’s particular needs.
When might a psychologist be more appropriate?
A psychologist may be the preferred professional when a child requires services such as:
- Psychological assessment
- Cognitive or intellectual testing
- Certain diagnostic assessments
- Complex mental health assessment
- A service that requires a registered psychologist
- A particular psychological intervention recommended by another professional
Counsellors and psychologists may also work alongside each other as part of a child’s broader support team. Choosing one professional does not necessarily mean excluding the other.
How can families decide?
There is no single answer that will suit every child.
Before choosing a therapist, consider your child’s current needs, NDIS goals, personality, interests and preferred ways of communicating.
It can also be helpful to speak with the therapist before booking an initial appointment. Ask how they would approach your child’s needs, what a typical session may involve and how they include parents or carers in the process.
After therapy begins, consider:
- Does my child appear to feel safe with the therapist?
- Is the therapist taking time to understand my child?
- Are sessions being adapted to my child’s needs?
- Are we receiving useful guidance and communication?
- Does the support relate to my child’s goals?
- Are we beginning to see meaningful progress over time?
Progress will look different for every child. It may include expressing an emotion, trying a new coping strategy, recovering more quickly after becoming overwhelmed or feeling more confident in a social situation.
Small changes can be meaningful steps forward.
Finding support that fits your child
The most appropriate therapist is not always determined by whether they are called a counsellor or psychologist.
It is the professional whose qualifications, experience and approach align with your child’s needs, and who can develop a safe and trusting relationship with them.
At Build N Bloom Child, Adolescent & Family Counselling, Simone provides trauma-informed, child-centred counselling for children, adolescents and families. Her approach may include evidence-based talking therapies, Child-Centred Play Therapy and expressive therapeutic activities tailored to the child’s age, development, communication style and individual needs.
Families considering counselling through their child’s NDIS plan can speak with Simone about their child’s goals and circumstances to determine whether Build N Bloom may be an appropriate fit.
Every child deserves support that helps them feel safe, heard and understood. Finding the right therapist can be an important first step towards helping a child build confidence, develop practical skills and participate more fully in everyday life.
About Simone Whalley
Simone Whalley is the Director and Principal Counsellor at Build N Bloom Child, Adolescent & Family Counselling. She is an ACA Registered Counsellor, M.A.C.A Level 2, and a Certified LEGO® Therapist.
Email: info@buildnbloom.com.au
Website: www.buildnbloom.com.au
Clickability editorial update: October 2026
Explain credentials, purpose and consent clearly
Describe what your service can assess or deliver and when another professional is needed. Give families a clear account of fees, record sharing and involvement between sessions. Relevant professional registration or accreditation and evidence of functional purpose matter alongside rapport.
Questions readers ask
Does every creative or play-based technique listed qualify for NDIS payment?
No. Funding depends on the actual eligible support, practitioner and individual criteria. Official guidance
Is clinical treatment the same as disability-related functional therapy?
No. Health-system treatment and NDIS functional supports have different responsibilities. Official guidance
Find counselling support that suits your child’s needs
Describe the support you are seeking through Clickability. Read provider profiles and reviews, then confirm qualifications, session purpose and funding before booking.