Find the therapist that best suits your needs.
Meet the team
At Creative Therapy Village we are committed to ensuring our clinicians meet the highest possible standards, we are extremely proud of our team of Play Therapists, Counsellors, Art Therapists and other Allied Health and Creative Therapists. In addition to having completed an undergraduate in their chosen field, our Therapeutic Team all have Masters level or equivalent training in their chosen therapeutic discipline and are registered with an Australian relevant professional body. We believe that what makes a strong clinician is more than just qualifications, it is about experience, values, and commitment. We love what we do and that makes a difference to the service you receive.
Our team is committed to delivering the highest level of support to the children and families we are lucky enough to work with. We are focused on ensuring that we support our Team to engage in ongoing professional development and engage in regular supervision and mentoring to support their growth and this in turn ensures that you, our clients are receiving the highest quality professional care.
Marie Madigan, Director
Marie has been dedicated to supporting children and families in their journey towards improved mental health and well-being since 2001. She has accumulated extensive experience in various roles aimed at empowering individuals, parents, carers, foster families, and teams of professionals supporting families. Throughout her career, Marie has facilitated parenting programs such as the Incredible Years and Triple P parenting, helping caregivers develop confidence in their parenting abilities. She has also worked closely with vulnerable children in the community, leading social skills groups and providing parenting support to families in need. Transitioning into leadership roles, Marie has supervised teams of counsellors, social workers, and psychologists, overseeing youth counselling, drug and alcohol counselling, as well as programs supporting mental health in residential care and post-care transitions. Drawing from her diverse experiences and personal journey as a parent, Marie has established a practice committed to embracing neurodiversity within families. She is passionate about empowering clients through life challenges, offering a compassionate approach to navigating adversity and working towards improved mental health outcomes, with a strong focus on the importance of empathic communication. With creativity, empathy, and respect at the forefront, Marie is dedicated to providing the support and guidance that clients of Creative Therapy Village deserve as they navigate their paths towards a brighter future. Marie has a BA in Social Studies, BA Social Care Practice, Cert in Family Therapy, Clinical Supervision Certifications, and is studying her final subject in a Master of Counselling.
Mary Cotter,
Senior Play Therapist
Mary Cotter holds a Masters in Practice Based Play Therapy and a Degree in Early Childhood Studies. She is a Registered Play Therapist and Supervisor with APPTA, boasting 18 years of experience in working with children aged 6 months to 12 years. Graduating with a Bachelors Degree in Early Childhood Studies and a Masters in Play Therapy. Mary has expanded her expertise by becoming Certified Facilitator of LEGO® Based Therapy, a Facilitator for Learn to Play, Level One Animal Assisted Play Therapy® Training, and Registered Play Therapy Supervisor with APPTA. Mary excels in supporting children with diverse developmental needs, including social, emotional, or psychological difficulties, utilizing the play therapy toolkit to foster insight, resilience, and goal achievement, working as a play therapist in a local school for the past 8 years. Specializing in working beautifully with children with anxiety, low play skills, low self-esteem, social skills, grief, and trauma, Mary brings a warm and caring approach to building relationships and working therapeutically with children and their families. Mary can offer animal-assisted play therapy with Ollie the Therapy dog, although his places are limited, Ollie is has strong focus on good work- walkies- life balance!
Danlie Wu,
Art therapist and youth & family counsellor
Danlie brings a wealth of experience in therapeutic work spanning across various demographics, including children, adolescents, adults, and families. With this versatile background, she has engaged with individuals both in one-on-one sessions and group settings across diverse environments such as community centers, mainstream and special education schools, hospitals, mental health rehabilitation facilities, as well as alcohol and drug services. Committed to fostering a safe, non-judgmental, and inclusive space, Danlie endeavors to nurture positive change and growth in her clients. She firmly believes in the power of creativity as a means of finding solutions In her view, creativity permeates all aspects of life; we all engage in creative endeavors daily. Danlie sees art therapy as a transformative tool, offering avenues for meaning-making when words fall short, facilitating experimentation during periods of change, and providing insights towards healing and personal growth. Fluent in both English and Mandarin, Danlie has multicultural background—having grown up in Taiwan and the US and now residing in Australia—further enriches her understanding of immigrant families and their children's experiences. Exploring issues of multicultural identity has become a significant focus of her work. Danlie’s qualifications include a Master’s Degree in Art Therapy, Graduate Certificates in Family Therapy and Addictive Behaviors, a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology and Visual Arts, and a Cert IV in Training and Assessment.
Rishita Gulati, Counsellor
Rishita is a warm, creative, and child-centred counsellor with a Master’s in Counselling from Monash University and a BA (Hons) in Psychology. She is an ACA (Australian Counselling Association) registered counsellor who works with children across different developmental stages, providing neuroaffirming support tailored to their unique needs. Her approach is deeply attuned to each child, helping them navigate challenges related to emotional regulation, social skills, anxiety, self-esteem, and trauma.
Drawing from art, play, storytelling, metaphors, and engaging therapeutic conversations, she creates a space where children can process emotions, build resilience, and develop self-awareness in a way that feels natural and meaningful to them. She integrates psychoeducation and evidence-based strategies into sessions, making complex emotions and coping skills accessible through creativity and hands-on activities.
Her work focuses on strength-building, recognising and amplifying each child’s abilities while gently supporting areas of growth. Whether it’s through structured games, imaginative play,expressive arts, or symbolic storytelling, she helps children explore their identities, process difficult experiences, and develop confidence in their voices. By fostering trust, connection, and emotional safety, she empowers children to better understand themselves and the world
around them.
Kirsten Winthers,
Art Therapist
Kirsten Winthers is an Art Therapist with a Master of Art Therapy from La Trobe University and has over 10 years of experience in the community services setcor. Passionate about supporting children, young people, and families, she applies evidence-based interventions to foster resilience and well-being.
Kirsten specialises in designing and delivering Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), and Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT)-based art therapy programs, tailoring approaches to individual needs. Kirsten integrates child-led, play-based, trauma-informed, client-centered, strength-based, and neuro-affirming frameworks to support mental health and neurodevelopmental challenges. She also utilises the Expressive Therapies Continuum (ETC) to enhance emotional regulation and therapeutic outcomes.
With a strong focus on family therapy, Kirsten incorporates the Family Systems Approach, Dyadic Art Therapy, and Attachment-Based Interventions. A passionate advocate for the intersection of art therapy, play therapy, cognitive-behavioral approaches, and neuroscience, she highlights the power of creative expression in fostering resilience and cognitive growth. She has extensive experience working with individuals, especially children and families, affected by domestic violence and homelessness, supporting them on their healing journey.
Emma Green, Occupational Therapist
(Mental Health Focus -age 15+)
Emma is dedicated to supporting the mental health and well-being of young people (15+) and adults through her expertise in Occupational Therapy. With experience in mainstream and specialized settings, including private practice, case management, and crisis assessment teams, and a Master of Occupational Therapy from LaTrobe University, Emma offers a deep clinical understanding of the unique mental health challenges facing young people in our community today.
Emma's areas of expertise includes mental health support, anxiety management, behaviour activation, and executive functioning support.
Occupational therapy with a mental health focus can support adolescents with Autism, ADHD, intellectual disabilities, mental health disorders or illnesses and cognitive impairments.
Transition Support- Assisting young people as they navigate the transition from adolescence to adulthood.
Personalized Therapy- Tailored approaches using sensory modulation, CBT, and social skills development.
Emma's compassionate approach and practical strategies empower her clients to thrive during this important period of growth and change.
When she is not busy being awesome at work, Emma enjoys staying active with water sports and spending quality time with her cats!
Evelyn, Occupational Therapist
Evelyn is a dedicated, empathetic, and creative Occupational Therapist who is committed to supporting children, young adults, and their families. She has experience conducting comprehensive and informative assessments, creating collaborative and individualized intervention goals, providing tailored therapy, and offering consultative support to those involved in the care, development, and education of children and young adults.
Evelyn is passionate about achieving person-led goals through an inclusive, neuro-affirmative, and compassionate approach. She understands the significance of early childhood development and is equally committed to supporting young adults as they navigate evolving environments and personal transitions. Evelyn combines playful, fun-based intervention approaches with emotion- and person-centered strategies to create a comfortable, engaging environment in which children and young adults feel supported as she builds meaningful rapport.
Holding an honours degree in Occupational Therapy from University College Cork, Ireland, Evelyn values evidence-based practices and is dedicated to ongoing professional development. She has specialised training in conducting diagnostic assessments, including autism and motor coordination evaluations, and she focuses on areas such as neurodivergence, independent living skills/ADLs, motor skill development, attention, emotional and sensory regulation, and mental health. Evelyn's professional fulfillment is rooted in helping clients achieve their goals and facilitating children’s growth and development through play-based Occupational Therapy.
In her free time, Evelyn enjoys outdoor activities, cooking, and spending quality time with her family, friends, and dogs.
Ollie, the Therapy Dog
Ollie is a three year old golden retriever who works alongside our Senior Play Therapist Mary Cotter in a program called animal assisted play therapy. Animal assisted play therapy (AAPT) is a counselling/ psychotherapy treatment based on the bond created between the animal and the child through interaction and play to meet the child’s therapeutic goal. Animal assisted therapy can be very helpful for anyone, but has wonderful evidence-based benefits for both children and adults with almost any kind of mental health issue, anxiety disorder, disability, mental illness, chronic illness and for those with autism spectrum disorder.
Ollie and Mary have completed
· Basic obedience training
· Advanced obedience training
· Animal Assisted Play Therapy® Training
· Therapy dog training
AAPT is relationship focused and therefore access to these sessions will be based on the client needs and suitability. Ollie has a great work, life, walkies balance so only has limited availability.
Michelle Bradley, Play Therapist
With 24 years of experience working with children, Michelle has dedicated her career to early childhood education and play therapy. Michelle has extensive experience teaching Diploma and Certificate III in Early Childhood Education and Care, having earned her Certificate IV in Training and Assessment. Additionally, she has managed a large children’s centre that supported diverse families along side a culturally rich team.
Michelle holds a Graduate Certificate in Therapeutic Child Play and a Masters in Child Play Therapy from Deakin University, which she completed in 2023. While managing the children’s centre, Michelle also worked in private practice, supporting children with ADHD, autism, food refusal, and attachment challenges. Michelle’s work focuses on enhancing play levels, fostering social interactions, and guiding children through challenging transitions.
Michelle’s approach is child-led and relationship-based, creating a safe and supportive space where children can explore, express, and heal through play. Michelle has delivered Learn to Play Therapy, Humanistic Therapy, and Filial Therapy, tailoring interventions to each child’s unique needs.
Michelle is excited to bring her skills into a team environment, collaborating with professionals to further support children’s emotional and developmental growth through play therapy.
Kate Jenkins, Paediatric Occupational Therapist
Kate is a compassionate, enthusiastic and creative occupational therapist who works hard to support children and young adults in a way that celebrates their individuality and strengths. She is dedicated to delivering client centred and neuro affirmative therapy in a child led and fun-filled manner. Kate’s strong team-work and interpersonal skills support her in building trusting and therapeutic relationships with the client, their caregivers and schools. Kate is driven to ensure her clients can engage in the activities that they need, want, and have to do, at their level, within the environment they live in.
Kate received her degree in occupational therapy in Ireland. She has a broad experience working with children and young adults to support their motor skill and handwriting development, sensory and emotional regulation, independence in their activities of daily living and occupational engagement. She is skilled in delivering detailed assessments and reports.
Furthering her expertise, Kate has received additional training in sensory-based interventions for home and school settings, the Decider Skills Programme, anxiety management, best practices for developmental coordination disorder, and neuroaffirmative practice, ensuring her approach is evidence-based.
In her free time, Kate enjoys staying active and being creative, with a particular love for baking.
