Major National Business Award for Sydney Children's Practice

“This award celebrates excellence, innovation and hard work and is testament to the dedication and expertise of our wonderful team” – Brad Bowen, founder and clinic director of Sydney Children’s Practice

What is Emotion Coaching?

We are proud to share that Sydney Children’s Practice has been named Champion in the Psychology category at the prestigious 2025 Australian Professionals Small Business Champion Awards – the country’s flagship program recognising the outstanding achievements of Australia’s small business owners and their teams.

The national recognition program is dedicated to highlighting the contributions of small businesses from a broad range of industries in all states and territories across Australia.

The 2025 program saw thousands of small businesses across metropolitan, regional and rural Australia be nominated for the awards in over 45 categories.  The Champions were announced at a recent awards evening hosted by Sandra Sully AM and we were honoured to be among the many professional business leaders from across the country at the event.

Winning was an exciting and very proud moment for the whole team at Sydney Children’s Practice - from our skilled psychologists and clinicians to our dedicated support staff. It reflects the professionalism, care, compassion and collaborative spirit that our team brings to work each day.

The award recognises not only our expertise, but also the trust we have built within the community since Brad Bowen founded the practice in 2017.

The Awards founder, Steve Loe, described Sydney Children's Practice as a clear standout, noting that achieving Champion status reflected the professionalism, vision and results of the team.

More about the Australian Small Business Champion Awards

Since its inception in 1999, the Australian Small Business Champion Awards has grown to become one of the country’s most respected awards programs, celebrating excellence, innovation and hard work.  They celebrate the achievements of small businesses and the vital role they play in their communities.

What the Champions award means to us

The award is testament to how Sydney Children’s Practice has grown over the years (from a solo psychologist in 2017 to over a dozen clinicians and a dedicated support team in two Sydney locations in 2025) and is testament to how we go about our work.

While the recognition is a proud moment for our entire team, awards are not what drive us. Our motivation comes from a deep desire and focus to make a meaningful impact on the everyday lives of children, adolescents and their families who come to our practice for mental health support. 

We measure our success in everyday moments – like when a child begins to believe in themselves, when a parent feels less alone or when a family finally finds the support they have been searching for. 

Judging criteria for the Australian Small Business Champion Awards

The judging panel comprised representatives from a variety of industries who have relevant experience or an understanding of the operations of a small business and who recognise the values associated with successful businesses.

They evaluated finalists on criteria such as business strategy and growth, innovation, customer service excellence, community contribution and sustainability.

Here are some of the aspects of our practice which may have contributed to our winning the Champions award:

Business Strategy – From the beginning, our goal has been to build a warm, professional and values-driven practice where children, adolescents and families feel supported and where clinicians and the support team are empowered to do their best work.  Everything we do is informed by a genuine drive and passion to deliver clinical excellence powered by real human connection and compassion.

Growth – Brad Bowen started a solo psychology practice in 2017 in a modest Stanmore office with a few empty rooms and a vision to do things differently.  His aim was to provide high-quality, evidence-based support for children, families and caregivers in a way that felt warm, calm and connected – and word quickly spread about the practice.

Demand for our services has continued to grow over the years, and we have significantly expanded our clinical team and our service offerings to meet increasing community need.

Today we have a team of over a dozen psychologists and a dedicated support staff operating over two sites in Glebe and Stanmore.

Innovation – We’re always looking for ways to deepen our impacts on individuals and the community and have introduced school holiday group programs that focus on social connections and emotional regulation as well as parenting groups and a parent education series. 

We know that a growing area of concern for many parents is managing their children’s use of technology and devices, and we are continuing to upskill to meet the evolving challenges parents need to manage with their children in this area.

We also offer extended consultation hours (from 7.30am to 8pm) to allow families to see us when it suits them.

Commitment to Client Care – Families are often referred to Sydney Children's Practice by paediatricians, GPs, schools and even other psychologists when a child needs psychological support. We also provide comprehensive Autism and ADHD assessments to help families gain clarity and direction.

Through ongoing professional training, development, mentoring and leadership, our team continues to upskill and learn in order to better serve our clients’ needs.  We passionately believe that when our staff feel supported and engaged, it’s reflected in the quality of care that we deliver and that our relationship with our team members is foundational to our success.

Community Contribution – Another aspect of our business that may have contributed to our Champions Award is our education-based outreach.  This is a key part of our mission to empower families, schools and communities to better support the children in their care. 

Our psychologists speak at schools and community events to normalise seeking help for mental health challenges and to provide practical guidance on a wide range of topics such as anxiety, neurodiversity, emotion coaching and classroom strategies.

A last word on the Sydney Children’s Practice’s Champion Award

In the media release from the event, the organisers noted that Sydney Children’s Practice stood out in the Psychology category and that it had impressed the independent panel of judges. 

Receiving this award is an honour for our team and a recognition of the care and effort that go into our work each day. We are grateful for the trust families and referrers place in us, and we remain committed to supporting children and adolescents with evidence-based, compassionate care.

To find out more about Sydney Children’s Practice or to make an appointment, please contact us on 02 9564 3758, drop us an email at admin@sydneychildrenspractice.com.au or visit our website.