Family Matters Counselling & Therapy Services

Welcome to Family Matters, a therapy centre that prides itself on being respectful, compassionate, and caring. We are a proud member of the Australian Counselling Association and a registered provider with several health funds. Our team provides therapy for children, young people, and adults in the Stanthorpe region and beyond through home visits, Skype, and Facetime sessions.

Our founder, Darryl Peters, is a Counsellor and Neuroplasticity Therapist with over 20 years of experience working with families, children, and young people. Darryl is a qualified Counsellor with the Australian Counselling Association and holds degrees in Counselling, Science (Human Movement), Ministry, and specific training in Neuroplasticity. Darryl's passion is to see hope, healing, and restoration in people's lives and relationships.

Susan, our Practice Office Manager, has been married to Darryl for over 24 years and has two adult daughters. The family made their "tree change" to the Granite Belt over 17 years ago and has never looked back. People who know Darryl and Susan well describe them as "down to earth, " "understanding, " and "easy to talk to."

Services

At Family Matters, we offer a range of services to help individuals and families navigate life's challenges.

Counselling

Our Person-Centred approach to Relationship Counselling is perfect for couples, parents with children, and your significant relationships. This approach has also been proven to be effective for emotional healing and growth. We also use tools such as Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), and Mindfulness to address the unhelpful thoughts and emotions behind Mental Health challenges such as Anxiety, Depression, OCD, Eating Disorders, and Self Harm. If you have any questions about our counselling services, please contact us by phone or email. Online Skype or Facetime sessions are also available.

Brain Training

At Family Matters, we offer Neurofunctional Intervention Therapies which harness your brain's natural neuroplasticity. These therapies have been shown to strengthen healthy brain connections and decrease symptoms of Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD), Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), Oppositional Defiance Disorder (ODD), and Attachment and Learning Disorders. Best of all, they are fun! Brain Training, by helping to regulate our natural fight or flight response, has also been proven to help alleviate the symptoms of Trauma, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Chronic Depressive and Anxiety Disorders.

Lego Therapy

Lego is a great form of expression, and our LEGO therapy uses this fantastic medium to develop Communication, Social Skills, Planning, Teamwork, and Spatial Awareness. Available in Individual or Group sessions. We have an amazing LEGO library that our Clients can access for FREE.

Role Play Therapy

Our Role Playing Groups (Table Top RPG Groups) get together weekly to use their imaginations to go on adventures, slay monsters, solve problems, and build friendships. This form of therapy has been demonstrated to assist those with social anxiety, ASD, and mental health challenges build social skills, engage with others and work as part of a team.

What is Brain Training?

Neuroplasticity is a fancy word that describes the way our brain can rewire and reconnect itself. The latest scientific research shows that connections between different parts of our brain can grow stronger or weaker depending on how we use them. Our Brain Development - As we grow, sometimes these connections in our brain don't form as well as they should, and this can affect our behaviour, our learning and how we interact with the world around us. The healthy connections that do form can be strengthened and utilised through Brain Training to help alleviate symptoms of various disorders and challenges.