Get to know our practitioners

Our team consists of highly skilled and compassionate practitioners, including physiotherapists, occupational therapists, speech therapists, and early childhood intervention practitioners.  With our collective expertise, we strive to provide personalised care that addresses your child's unique concerns and goals.

May Horan at Kids Play Therapy
May Horan
Director & Early Childhood Intervention Practitioner
Language Speaking: English, Thai
Service Location: Eastern Suburbs

May is driven by a firm belief in the unique strength of each child and their innate capacity to make a meaningful contribution to the world. She holds a Bachelor of Early Childhood Education Degree and is registered as an early childhood teacher. Her approach is informed by both her formal training and extensive experience working in special schools and other behavioural therapy settings.
May delivers evidence-based programs using play-based intervention techniques tailored to the unique needs of each child. These programs are grounded in empathy, creativity, and a deep understanding of child development principles, ensuring that every intervention is engaging and meaningful.

Adamina Ivcovici at Kids Play Therapy
Adamina Ivcovici
Director & Senior Physiotherapist
Language Speaking: English, German
Service Location:  North Eastern Suburbs

Addie is a dedicated allied health professional, researcher, and healthcare consumer advocate. Holding a PhD in healthcare knowledge mobilisation, she is deeply committed to supporting clients to achieve their ultimate health goals.
Addie firmly believes in the power of building meaningful therapeutic relationships with clients and strong connections across care teams, to create a supportive environment where individuals can truly be themselves throughout their health improvement journey. Importantly, Addie believes that as health practitioners, we should always question and challenge the status quo so that we can make the system around us better for everyone.

Desmond Occupational Therapist with Kids Play Therapy
Desmond Leung
Occupational Therapist
Language Speaking: English, Cantonese, Mandarin
Service Location: Metro Melbourne

Desmond completed a Bachelor of Occupational Therapy at Deakin University. He is committed to help children with autism spectrum disorder and other neuro-developmental conditions achieve a fulfilling, meaningful, and independent life.Desmond employs a neuro-affirming, strengths-based, and family-centered approach working with children. He is dedicated in creating a fun, nurturing and universal learning environment for all children. Outside of his professional life, Desmond loves hiking, camping, rock climbing, gaming, and cooking.

Melissa Lincoln Occupational therapist with Kids Play Therapy
Melissa Lin
Occupational Therapist
Language Speaking: English
Service Location: South Eastern Suburb

Melissa has dedicated her career to fostering the growth and education of children from 12 months to 21 years old. Her experience ranges from early childhood education in various settings including child care facilities and kindergartens. Beyond education, Melissa has also explored roles within the NDIS, serving as both a support worker and psychosocial recovery coach. Her professional ethos emphasises a family-centered practice and collaborative approach aimed at empowering children's development and overall growth.

Gauri Shinde
Gauri Shinde
Counsellor
Language Speaking: English
Service Location: South Eastern Suburb

Gauri brings extensive experience in child mental health, holding a Master's degree in Clinical Psychology from India. She furthered her education with a Master of Counselling and Mental Health and is a registered member of the Australian Counselling Association (ACA). Gauri specialises in identifying specific learning disorders and utilises a combination of creative, expressive, and play-based approaches, alongside evidence-based therapies. Gauri's passion lies in working with children, and she views building and maintaining a trusting, enjoyable, and secure connection with each child as essential to her work. She believes that fostering this connection creates a positive environment where children can thrive and reach their full potential.

Zainab Masalawala
Ana Dvarakesa
Dietitian
Language Speaking: English, Tamil
Service Location: Western Suburbs

Ana is a passionate and dedicated registered dietitian who recently graduated with a degree in Dietetics. She has a particular interest in developmental conditions which may affect feeding and nutrition adequacy, such as Autism, ADHD and sensory processing differences. Utilising Ellyn Satter's Feeding Dynamics Model and providing a compassionate non-judgemental space, Ana aims to make mealtime a positive experience for children and to support parents in navigating dietary concerns.Embracing neurodiversity is central to Ana's practice. She believes in the importance of personalised nutrition care that respects and responds to the needs of children with different flavours of neurodivergence. Ana is dedicated to creating inclusive, fun and supportive environments that empower all children to explore and feel confident around food.Since the completion of degree, Ana has engaged in further professional development in the area of paediatrics including: ASCIA Food Allergy e-training for professionals, AEIOU: An Integrated Approach to Paediatric Feeding & The Monash university low FODMAP Diet for IBS.

Zainab Masalawala
Zainab Masalawala
Allied Health Assistant
Language Speaking: English, Hindi and Gujarati
Service Location: Metro Melbourne

Zainab is currently pursuing a Bachelor of Speech Pathology at Latrobe University. She is deeply passionate about learning and committed to accompanying young children on their therapeutic journeys, where she translates her classroom knowledge into practical sessions. Zainab's greatest aspiration is to positively impact children's lives through precise therapeutic interventions that are custom-tailored to meet their individual needs.