Possum House therapist advocates for children's mental health

Having run the counselling service Possum House for the past four years, Nicky Trussler wants to see play therapy utilised on a widespread scale.

The child-led method harnesses kids' natural urge to explore by allowing them to express their feelings through toys and games.

Mrs Trussler said expecting children to talk about their feelings like adults wasn't realistic.

"Children don't necessarily express anxiety and sadness in the same way that adults do, they might actually be showing more anger and aggression," she told The Standard.

"We're then trying to work out what's going on behind that rather than just punishing them for bad behaviour, which we know doesn't work."

The mental health social worker said many children found talking about what's troubling them to be difficult.

"One of the reasons why we have so many different types of toys here is so children can choose what they feel they need to play with to show us how they're feeling," she said.

Now at three locations with Portland and Hamilton clinics alongside Warrnambool, Possum House is home to a variety of games, toys and figures.

One of the more unique items are the 'hospital dollies', complete with x-ray scans and a pulse oximeter.

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The playset is designed specifically for children with a history of extensive medical care or a lot of experience in hospitals.

Mrs Trussler said medical trauma could be difficult for kids to convey to adults.

"But I have children who come in and know exactly how to set up a drip and how to put the mask on," she said.

"When they're processing some of those difficulties that they've had in hospital, then it can be really useful to have something like this set up."

The therapist ran a session at Portland Library on October 17 where among other subjects, she spoke about the stigma that neurodivergent children faced.

"They may have the sensory differences, different communication styles or different ways that they play. Historically, if any of those things don't look 'normal', then interventions have sought to change them," she said.

"We need to just understand that the way they play is different. It's not worse, it's just different."

Mrs Trussler said although people were more accepting today than in decades previous, there was still work to be done.

"When an autistic child is behaving in a way that's not expected in public, other people in the community don't necessarily understand that that's a child who's struggling.

"From that perspective, I think we still have a long way to go."

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