If your child is feeling overwhelmed by school, friendships or worries that just won’t switch off, it can be hard to know where to turn. Peppermint Psychology is a child‑focused psychology practice in Claremont, supporting children, teens and their families from across Perth – including the Bicton area – with calm, evidence‑based care.
Peppermint Psychology is owned and run by psychologist Ariana Balalas, who has a special interest in anxiety, learning differences and neurodivergence, including autism and ADHD. She offers both counselling and assessments, with appointments available on Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays.
A warm, child‑friendly approach to anxiety
Many families first contact Peppermint Psychology because their child is feeling anxious – about school, friendships, trying new things, or even leaving the house.
Ariana uses Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), both well‑established, evidence‑based approaches for supporting anxiety in children and adolescents. Rather than keeping therapy “talk‑only”, she adapts these approaches to be engaging and age‑appropriate.
That might look like:
- Drawing and art activities
- Using picture books to explore worries
- Games and creative tools to practise coping skills
- Child‑friendly check‑in sheets with faces to colour instead of lots of questions
These activities help children feel more comfortable and make it easier for them to explore big feelings in a way that feels safe and manageable.
Parents are part of the support team
For many families in Perth, it’s important to know how involved they will be in their child’s therapy.
At Peppermint Psychology, parents and caregivers are seen as key partners in supporting change. For younger children (around 6–10 years), Ariana often invites parents into sessions. For older children and teens, there is always the option of having a parent in the room for some or all of the session, if that’s what the young person prefers.
Parents are also supported with:
- Practical ideas for responding to anxiety at home
- Guidance on modelling coping strategies (for example, calmly naming your own mild worries and how you handle them)
- Suggestions for how to talk with school and other caregivers
This collaborative approach helps ensure that strategies practised in sessions are understood and supported at home too.
Understanding what’s underneath a child’s anxiety
Not all anxiety looks the same. Sometimes it’s clearly linked to a specific situation (like starting a new school). Other times, it may be related to neurodivergence or sensory differences, such as autism or ADHD.
Ariana begins with a comprehensive intake session, where she gathers background information and a developmental history. She may also use parent and child questionnaires to better understand:
- The type of anxiety your child is experiencing
- Whether there may be other contributing factors, such as neurodivergence or learning differences
- How your child is managing at home, school, in sport and in friendships
This helps build a fuller picture so that support can be tailored to your child’s individual profile rather than using a one‑size‑fits‑all approach.
Tracking progress in meaningful ways
Families often want to know, “How will we know if things are improving?”
At Peppermint Psychology, progress is measured in everyday life, not just in the therapy room. Ariana looks for changes such as:
- Your child feeling more able to attend school or participate in activities
- Less avoidance around challenging tasks
- Improvements in confidence with friendships or social situations
- Parents noticing that day‑to‑day life feels a little easier
At the start of each session, children use a simple check‑in sheet to colour in how they are going in key areas (home, school, friendships, activities). This gives children a voice in their own progress and allows Ariana to monitor changes over time in a child‑friendly way.
A strengths‑based, neuro‑affirming lens
Peppermint Psychology is strongly strengths‑based and neuro‑affirming. This means:
- Seeing different brain types as “differences, not deficits”
- Supporting children to notice what matters to them and what they are good at
- Adjusting environments and expectations where possible, rather than expecting the child to always do all the adapting
In sessions, Ariana often uses Growth Mindset activities and ACT‑based values exercises. Children are supported to explore questions like: “What’s important to me?” and “What kind of friend/learner/teammate do I want to be?” Then, even when anxiety shows up, they can practise taking small steps towards those values.
When working with autistic, ADHD or AuADHD children, Ariana makes a particular effort to:
- Learn about each child’s special interests
- Incorporate those interests into tools and strategies (for example, Minecraft‑themed feelings charts)
- Use regulation strategies that genuinely resonate with the child, such as talking about their favourite topics
This personalised approach can be especially supportive for neurodivergent kids who may not respond as well to generic strategies.
Working together with Perth schools
School is a big part of most children’s lives, and Ariana understands how important it is for families and schools to be on the same page.
She encourages parents to identify at least one trusted staff member who understands their child well, even if that person isn’t the classroom teacher. This person can:
- Help advocate for reasonable adjustments
- Support the child day‑to‑day
- Be a point of contact for parents and allied health professionals
Where appropriate and with consent, Ariana can collaborate with teachers and other professionals to share recommendations and help translate assessment findings into practical classroom supports.
Assessments for learning and attention differences
In addition to counselling, Peppermint Psychology provides a range of assessments for children and young people, including:
- ADHD assessments
- Learning disorder assessments (Dyslexia, Dysgraphia, Dyscalculia)
- Cognitive assessments
- Giftedness assessments
The assessment process is designed to be thorough, paced and child‑friendly:
- Parent intake session – to gather background and developmental history.
- 1–3 assessment sessions with your child – spread over several visits to allow for brain breaks and relationship‑building.
- Scoring, interpretation and report writing – typically 2–4 weeks.
- Parent feedback session – to talk through the main findings, any diagnoses and tailored recommendations for home and school.
Ariana understands that assessment can feel daunting for children who may already be feeling less confident about school. She uses strategies such as:
- Breaking up assessments over multiple sessions
- Using fidgets, movement breaks and beanbags
- Providing a simple checklist so children can see what’s coming next
- Ending with a small reward as recognition of their effort
Payment is processed session by session, rather than requiring the full cost upfront, to help ease financial pressure for families.
Clear, practical recommendations for home and school
Assessment reports from Peppermint Psychology include:
- A one‑page summary up front in clear, everyday language
- Several pages of practical recommendations for school and home, individually tailored to your child
Ariana’s experience working in school settings means recommendations are designed to be realistic and actionable in real classrooms, not just theoretical.
Collaborative care with other Perth professionals
Many children benefit from support from more than one professional. Peppermint Psychology values teamwork with:
- Occupational therapists
- Speech pathologists
- Educators and school staff
- Other health practitioners
An occupational therapist, Alex Fitzgerald from More Than Able Therapy, currently works from Peppermint Psychology on Tuesdays, making it easier for some families to access multidisciplinary input in one location.
Location, availability and who Peppermint Psychology supports
Peppermint Psychology is located in Claremont, making it accessible for families from the western suburbs and beyond, including Bicton and surrounding areas.
Current availability includes new counselling and assessment appointments on Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays.
Ariana provides evidence‑based support for:
- Anxiety and low mood
- Social and friendship concerns
- Confidence and self‑esteem
- School refusal
- ADHD and autism‑related challenges
- Learning differences and giftedness
- A wide range of other emotional and behavioural concerns
If you’re in Perth and looking for thoughtful, evidence‑based support for your child, Peppermint Psychology offers a calm, collaborative space to better understand your child’s unique brain and to explore the next steps forward together.
Practical details
Business name: Peppermint Psychology
Clinician: Psychologist, Ariana Balalas
Location: Claremont (servicing Melville, Fremantle, Bicton, Cottesloe, Mosman Park, Claremont, Nedlands and surrounding areas)
Age group: Children and adolescents (5+)
Referral: No referral is required.
Current availability: Current availability for new counselling and assessments. Counselling includes evidence-based support for anxiety, depression, social/friendship issues, confidence/self-esteem, school refusal, ADHD/Autism, and many other conditions/concerns. Assessments offered include ADHD, Learning disorders (Dyslexia, Dysgraphia and Dyscalculia), Cognitive assessments and giftedness assessments. Clinic located in Claremont. Appointments available on Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays.
Bookings & enquiries:
Helpful resources
- Perth paediatrician and psychiatrist availability
- Autism assessment providers
- Autism diagnosis and school funding in Western Australia
