Written and photographed by Selina Ferrais
@dopamine_dealers @scribblyinc
The lady with the blue hair the kids say. Rochelle, she’s got this place now, this little sanctuary tucked away in Hervey Bay called Play and Beyond, where kids come in with the weight of the world on their tiny shoulders, and she meets them right there, in the mess of it all. She’s been there herself – knows what it’s like to claw your way out of something dark, holding on, moving in forward motion with two kids looking up at you like you’re their whole world. She’s a survivor of things people don’t like to talk about, things that bruise you on the inside and sometimes on the outside.
She used that pain. Didn’t let it swallow her, and she built something real from it. Play and Beyond and her Playing It Forward: Rebuilding Family Program – and it’s raw, it’s messy, and it’s full of love. It’s her way of saying, “We’ve been through the fire, and we’re still here.”
When I first meet Rochelle, her blue eyes are tired, a soft blue, like the sea in winter. There’s a depth to them, a weariness that seems to hold years of unspoken stories. When she talks about Play and Beyond, the lines of her face change – her eyes ignite, the blue becomes brighter, the fatigue slips away. Something like hope escapes from the creases in the corner of her eyes and the contours of her mouth. Rochelle is a hum of raw energy, no gloss, no frills. When she relays moments of her past, her trauma, her voice slows, a narrator of a movie scene that is happening to someone else, but it is her story. It led her to now – her exact moment in time.
Rochelle’s story starts far from Hervey Bay, across the Tasman in New Zealand. She was a hairdresser back then, cutting and colouring through the routines of small-town life. Chasing a fresh start, after experiencing a life-altering tragedy, she moved to Australia, full of opportunity, and new experiences. Instead, Rochelle was to find herself on what was a very lonely road that would test her resilience, strength and very existence.
Rochelle is a domestic violence survivor. Between 1998 – 2013 she experienced two particularly traumatic relationships with no family support and only accusatory tones, even from those sworn to honour and protect. One defining moment came at almost 29 years of age, heavily pregnant and terrified, as he threatened the life of her unborn child. An argument over Home and Away on the television in her small living room. While fictional characters played out drama on the screen, real chaos was erupting in real life. She’d make a run for it. If not for herself, but her unborn child with the fierce protectiveness only a mother knows. She was done with second chances, done with fear. She’d do it alone if she had to. And she did. For eight long years, Rochelle was a single parent, pushing through the exhaustion, the loneliness, the endless grind.
At 38, love found her again not long after the chaos of the Queensland floods. It felt like fate, a second chance. But history has a way of repeating itself. The mental torment. The coercive control. It crept in, an unwelcome guest, a slow fog. It was never physical this time, words, and mind games, sharp and cutting. Around the time of the Alison Baden-Clay case, her partner would make cruel, snide comments, as if the tragedy was some sort of joke. The poison of his words settled deep, but Rochelle had learned to read the signs. When she found out she was pregnant once more, she made another escape – 40 years old, pregnant, shocked, and alone once more.
In 2017, Rochelle packed up her life and moved to Hervey Bay with her two kids. A fresh start, again. She was close to finishing her degree in teaching, clutching onto it like a lifeline. But once more heartbreak would test her resolve. Her mother came to visit, a rare comfort in her chaotic world. And then, suddenly, a brain aneurysm, followed by a catastrophic stroke. Just like that, Rochelle’s mother was gone. Rochelle was “broken beyond broken,” like a glass smashed to dust, nothing left to piece back together.
She continued moving forward – her kids – she finished her degree and began her teaching career. Again, life had other plans. It hadn’t dealt her enough. Rochelle fell deathly ill. Three months in and out of hospitals, her face paralysed, the doctors baffled. She thought she was dying. “I might not live to see Christmas,” she told herself. And in those quiet moments, staring at the all-encompassing void of colourless ceilings from various hospital beds, she started making plans, preparing for a future she might not see – but not the plans you might think.
Rochelle was fed up with the broken school system, a vast machine built with rusty parts and broken nails, enormously unable to support the needs of children who needed extra support. Children like her own, autistic son — her “absolute beautiful challenge.” Neurodivergent children, the ones with big hearts and big struggles, were slipping through the cracks. There was no support for teachers, no resources for kids who didn’t fit into neat little boxes. She wasn’t going to wait around for the system to catch up. She was going to build something better, something real.
Rochelle found herself drawn into the world of play therapy and in 2022 Play and Beyond a neuro-affirming practice opened its doors. Dedicated to supporting children with emotional, behavioural, and cognitive challenges, as well as those affected by trauma, particularly family violence. Rochelle meets the child where they are, seeing them, hearing them, and allowing them to express themselves and process their emotions through play. “I love it,” she says, lighting up. She had found her calling. It’s simple but profound. For Rochelle, it’s not just about helping others – it’s a way of healing herself. Each child’s smile, each moment of breakthrough, it’s a stitch sewn back together in the fabric of her own soul.
Since children often struggle to verbalise their feelings, they express themselves through play reflecting the words of Gary Landreth, “Toys are children’s words, and play is their language.” Rochelle, now a clinically trained play therapist creates a space where children feel truly seen, valued, and accepted. This connection is key – when children feel understood on this level, healing and growth naturally follow. Through Child-Centred Play Therapy (CCPT), an evidence-based approach, children are given the space to process emotions, express themselves without judgment, and develop problem-solving skills – all in a safe, nurturing environment where words aren’t necessary.
Rochelle soon discovered however that financial barriers had become insurmountable hurdles for some families seeking therapy, recovering from family violence situations. A luxury it seems not everyone can afford. It’s unfair. It makes her blood boil. Rochelle decided to do it her way and with the support and encouragement of Hervey Bay Neighbourhood Centre (HNBC) CEO, Tanya, and Rowey from Collective Impact, Rochelle submitted a proposal for Social Shift Funding (through the Department of Social Services in partnership with HBNC). Overjoyed on hearing that funding had been approved, Rochelle built “Playing it Forward: Rebuilding Families Program.” The program has no interest in bank balances and reduces wait times for families seeking therapy elsewhere, bridging the critical gap by providing urgent support to children exposed to family violence – before it’s too late. 20 one-on-one play therapy sessions. Six sessions for parents giving them tools to continue the healing at home. Rochelle’s program is a significant step toward making a meaningful difference in the lives of those affected by family and domestic violence.
“I may be just a small fish in a vast ocean, but I’m hopeful that if this program proves successful, it will pave the way for further funding opportunities. I’m passionate about seeing more developmentally appropriate therapies, like CCPT, implemented for children impacted by family and domestic violence.” says Rochelle.
As she listens to the stories of the children she works with, she hears echoes of her own past. So many of these kids come from homes scarred by violence. She sees it in their eyes, in the way they flinch at sudden movements. The system doesn’t protect them. Violent fathers offered visitation rights; and anguished voices of mother’s not heard, repeated pleas to seek shelter from their storms.
Play and Beyond is a lifeline for kids and families who’ve been pushed to the margins. It’s a place where kids can be seen, really seen, maybe for the first time. Rochelle’s eyes soften when she talks about the families she helps. Despite everything, she chooses to believe in the possibility of change.
And that’s the thing about Rochelle. She doesn’t just survive. She rebuilds. She nurtures. She takes the shattered pieces of her life and moulds them into something beautiful, something that might just help someone else. One child, one session, one tiny moment at a time.
For more details: www.playandbeyond.com.au