20+
Years Experience
PhD
Psychology
🌏
International Reach
1000s
Professionals Trained
A Voice for Change in Children's Mental Health
Dr Sam Casey is a Registered Play Therapist, Accredited Mental Health Social Worker, and the founder of the Play Prescription® Method. With a PhD in Psychology and over 20 years working with children and families, Sam brings rare depth to every stage she steps onto.
Sam's speaking challenges the status quo in children's mental health — calling out the gaps in professional training, the power of inner child work, and the urgent need to take therapeutic play beyond the therapy room.
Her talks are evidence-based, deeply personal, and immediately practical — leaving audiences with new frameworks they can use the very next day.
Credentials at a Glance
- ✓PhD in Psychology (Play Therapy)
- ✓Registered Play Therapist (APPTA)
- ✓Accredited Mental Health Social Worker (AASW)
- ✓Medicare Provider
- ✓Trauma-Sensitive Yoga Facilitator (300hr)
- ✓Certified AutPlay Provider
- ✓Published Researcher & Author
- ✓20+ Years Clinical Experience
Talks That Move People to Act
Each talk is tailored to your audience, context, and goals. All topics can be delivered as keynotes, workshops, or masterclasses.
Breaking Generational Cycles
Beyond the Therapy Room
How childhood experiences shape the adults we become — and how professionals and parents can use therapeutic play principles to interrupt intergenerational patterns of trauma, shame, and disconnection.
The Play Prescription® Method
A Framework for Real Change
An introduction to the evidence-based Play Prescription® framework — how it bridges the gap between clinical play therapy and everyday practice for professionals, educators, and parents.
Rethinking Children's Mental Health
What the Research Actually Says
Drawing on Dr Sam's PhD research and 20+ years of clinical experience, this talk challenges conventional approaches to children's mental health and offers a more compassionate, evidence-informed alternative.
The Inner Child at Work
Why Self-Awareness is the Missing Piece
For professionals who work with children and families — exploring how our own childhood experiences unconsciously shape our practice, and why inner child work is essential for sustainable, effective support.
Therapeutic Play for Every Setting
Not Just for Therapists
How teachers, social workers, nurses, coaches, and parents can harness the science of play therapy to support children's emotional wellbeing — without needing a clinical qualification.
Burnout, Boundaries & Breaking Cycles
Sustaining Your Practice
For professionals in the helping sector — understanding the link between unresolved childhood experiences, professional burnout, and how to build sustainable practice through self-compassion and boundaries.
Balance the Scales
Thriving Within a System Not Built for Us
Most conversations focus on what's broken out there — policies, inequalities, underrepresentation. This talk looks at what we carry within. While we fight for systemic change, how do we show up for ourselves? Exploring the internal stories, myths, and conditioning that hold women back — and how to rewrite them.
Corporate Training
Building Trauma-Informed, Psychologically Safe Workplaces
Tailored training programs for organisations, leadership teams, and HR professionals — building the knowledge and skills to create psychologically safe cultures that support staff wellbeing, reduce burnout, and better serve the families and communities they work with.
International Women's Day 2026
Speaking Formats
Flexible formats to suit your event, organisation, or platform.
Keynote Address
45–90 minute keynotes for conferences, summits, and professional development events. Tailored to your audience and theme.
Workshop / Masterclass
Half-day or full-day interactive workshops for professional teams, organisations, and educational institutions.
Corporate Training
Tailored multi-session training programs for organisations and leadership teams. Builds trauma-informed, psychologically safe workplace cultures.
Virtual Presentation
Online keynotes and workshops delivered to international audiences via Zoom, Teams, or your preferred platform.
Panel & Podcast
Expert commentary, panel discussions, and podcast appearances on children's mental health, play therapy, and cycle-breaking.
Who Dr Sam Speaks To
Sam's talks resonate across sectors — wherever professionals or parents are working with children and families and want to create real, lasting change.
"Sam's keynote was the highlight of our conference. She had the entire room in tears and then on their feet. Truly transformational."
— Conference Organiser, Australia
"The most practical and emotionally intelligent speaker we've had. Our team left with tools they actually used the next week."
— Head of Wellbeing, International School
"Dr Sam challenged everything I thought I knew about children's behaviour. Her research-backed approach is exactly what our sector needs."
— CEO, Family Services NGO
What to Expect When You Book Dr Sam
01
Tailored Content
Every talk is customised to your audience, sector, and event goals — not a generic off-the-shelf presentation.
02
Evidence-Based
Grounded in peer-reviewed research, clinical experience, and Sam's own PhD findings — not just anecdote.
03
Immediately Practical
Audiences leave with frameworks and tools they can implement the very next day in their work or parenting.
04
Emotionally Resonant
Sam's style is warm, direct, and deeply human — creating space for reflection as well as action.