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Parent Training and Capacity Building: Support Programs
We understand firsthand that parenting can be both beautiful and challenging- and you don’t have to do it alone. Our programs offer a safe, supportive space to learn, reflect and grow alongside your child. With gentle guidance and practical tools, we help you strengthen connection, nurture confidence and bring more calm and joy into family life
Our Courses 💻
Welcome to Building Better Brains
About Us
Building Better Brains is a unique, multi-award winning allied health company who specialise in providing a range of person-centred individual and group therapy programs and training.
We work from our affirming mission statement that ‘Together We Can’ – this concept translates across the way we work, the way we lead, the way we encourage collaboration in our team, the way we build communities of parents, professionals and educators, and the way we aim to build better brains!
Our systemic vision of supporting the child and then building education and capacity in the systems around the child, bridges both macro and micro change that impacts current and future generations, helping us all to build better brains!
Awards & Achievements
Our expertise and excellence has been recognised across fields receiving national awards for Education (Australian Education Awards Teacher of the Year, 2019), Winner of Australian Women’s Small Business Champion for Children’s services (2024), Australian Small Business Champions national finalist for Allied Health (2024), plus Maroondah Business Awards Winner for Training and Education and the esteemed Business of the Year (2023)!
Our Team
At Building Better Brains, we are a dynamic multi disciplinary team consisting of creative counsellors, psychologists, dance and movement therapists, creative arts therapists, art therapists, play therapists, social workers, somatic trauma therapists, drama therapists, early years therapists, speech therapists, educators, trainers and keynote speakers.
We work with our clients in a one on one capacity as well as offering group therapy options, parent support and training, couples and family therapy and training and consultancy services.
At Building Better Brains we work with a creative strengths based approach with a neuroaffirming lens.
Our therapists and facilitators focus on building skills of attachment, regulation, confidence, self expression and communication that help support healthier relationships and functioning for life.
Our workshops are engaging, practical and full of real stories that open up dialogue for long lasting change.
Together we can build better brains! Choose the best for your family today.
Meet Tony Vallance
Manager, Play Therapist, Teacher, Counsellor, Behaviour Support Specialist
Secondary School Teacher
Co-owner of Building Better Brains
BSc (Zool), Grad Dip Ed, Dip Couns, Post Grad PT
Tony is the manager of a nationally award-winning team. His expertise and excellence has been recognised across fields receiving national and regional awards:
⭐ Australian Education Awards Teacher of the Year, 2019
⭐ Victorian Education Excellence Awards Finalist, 2018
⭐ Australian Small Business Champion Finalist – Allied Health, 2024
⭐ Maroondah Business of the Year Winner, 2023
⭐ Maroondah Business Awards – Training and Education Winner, 2023
Tony works in an extremely creative and client centered way encompassing multiple modalities such as Virtual Reality, LEGO, Sandtray, Narrative Based & Strengths Based Therapy, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy and Acceptance & Commitment Therapy.
He helps school aged clients to level up their contemporary learning skills with STEMpathy training.
As a musician, Tony runs You Rock Therapy which involves clients learning basic drums and guitar and learning how to express and externalise via songwriting and recording.
He facilitates group work which leverages his passion and experience from fourteen years as a top educator.
Tony works with men and in particular dads through Dads Chat, coaching and helping to develop their skills and coping with anxiety, anger and control issues.
Tony is registered with the PTPA, ACA and VIT.
Meet Sian Chambers - Vallance
CEO, Play Therapist, Counsellor, Supervisor
Co-owner of Building Better Brains
BPA, BA (Psych), Post Grad Dip PT, Dip Couns, Dip Mindfulness
Dip Yoga, Cert Kids Yoga, Dip AT, Cert AP, Cert Sup.
Sian is the CEO of a nationally award-winning team. Her expertise and excellence has been recognised across fields receiving national and regional awards:
⭐ Australian Women’s Small Business Champion Awards Winner – Children’s Services, 2024
⭐ Australian Business Champion Awards Allied Health Finalist, 2024
⭐ Maroondah Business of the Year Winner, 2023
⭐ Maroondah Business Awards – Training and Education Winner, 2023
⭐ Australian Telstra Business Awards Semi Finalist, 2024
She is a passionate clinical play therapist, professional supervisor and creative therapist specialising in early trauma and attachment difficulties.
She works with children and families in a systemic way and believes that brain based parenting, teacher education and support are key to helping this next generation of children thrive, along with harnessing the power of play.
Sian is a proud mum of two boys, one trainee therapy dog and an aloof cat!
- Certificate of Individual and Group Supervision
- Advanced Graduate Training in Clinical Child Centred Play Therapy
- Diploma of Counselling
- Diploma of Mindfulness
- Diploma of Art Therapy
- Post Graduate Diploma Play Therapy
- Cert in Kids Yoga
- Cert in Autplay therapy
- Diploma in Yoga Teaching
- Bachelor of Performing Arts Degree
- Bachelor of Psychology Degree