MrsRhiannon Breguet

Rhiannon Breguet commenced employment at Deakin University within the School of Health and Social Development in 2019 as a member of the Play Therapy teaching team, initially undertaking sessional and short-term lecturing roles. In 2023, she was appointed to an ongoing Lecturer in Play Therapy (Education-Focused) position.

Rhiannon brings over 20 years of professional experience working therapeutically with children, young people, and families across diverse and complex practice settings. She has extensive experience within Victoria’s Out of Home Care sector, where she worked for more than 12 years in therapeutic case management, team leadership, and specialist program development and training. 

Alongside her academic appointment, Rhiannon is the Director of Geelong Play Therapy (2021–present), a private clinical practice specialising in therapeutic work with children who have experienced trauma, disability, and emotional, social, and behavioural challenges. Her clinical practice includes individual Play Therapy and specialist consultation to Child Protection services. She also previously worked as a School-Based Play Therapist within Catholic Education from 2020 to 2022.

Rhiannon’s teaching and research interests include selective mutism, childhood trauma, child protection practice, and Family Court-related work. She is committed to advancing evidence-informed, reflective, and practice-integrated teaching approaches that support the development of emerging Play Therapists and contribute to the ongoing growth of the Play Therapy profession in Australia.

In her current role, Rhiannon is dedicated to providing high-quality clinical supervision, integrating authentic clinical experience into teaching and learning, and fostering deep reflective practice. She places particular emphasis on the development of professional identity, ethical practice, and the therapeutic use of self.

Rhiannon has contributed to the scholarly and professional literature through conference presentations and academic authorship. She presented at the World Association for Infant Mental Health Conference in 2012 on Therapeutic contact with children within the child protection system and their birth families. She is also the author of a book chapter titled Integrating Therapeutic Play into Nursing and Allied Health Practice: A Developmentally Sensitive Approach to Communication with Children, published in December 2022.

In December 2025, Rhiannon and her colleagues in the Play Therapy team were awarded the Deakin University Award for Teaching Excellence (Vice-Chancellor’s Award). This award recognises the Play Therapy team for their inspiring, person-centred teaching that fosters deep engagement, emotional connection, and transformative learning. Through playfully creative pedagogy, compassionate, responsive teaching, and innovative and digital resources, they empower students to thrive, personally and professionally, within a supportive, values-driven learning community. 

Rhiannon is a Registered Play Therapist and Clinical Supervisor (RPT-S) with the Australasian Play Therapy Association (APPTA).