The A-Z of Therapeutic Parenting: Strategies and Solutions (Therapeutic Parenting Books)

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This legally inaccurate advice creates anxieties and fear, feelings which then impact on how well the carers perform during the communication phase of these incidents. The Centre of Excellence in Child Trauma’s November 2021 conference attracted parents and professionals from around the country. Other recommended resources include “ Harry and the Dinosaurs Go To School” and “ Topsy and Tim Start School“ In this episode, Jane sets out an array of simple but effective strategies that help to reset a child’s understanding of what is appropriate behaviour between children and adults.

Therapeutic parenting - Fostering Devon Therapeutic parenting - Fostering Devon

Fostering Devon is on the way to changing this negative language with the help of our children in care!As NATP expert Jane Mitchell explains, they are rightly furious with those responsible for the abuse their child must have suffered in an earlier existence. I recently had a Facebook Live conversation with Sarah Naish to talk about our work together and how schools can better interface with and learn about trauma, adverse childhood experiences and therapeutic parenting.

Meet the Team - TRUE Fostering Meet the Team - TRUE Fostering

The vast majority of children who behave this way learn to control their fears with the right kind of therapeutic parenting – and to move forward into a more settled way of life. Billed as “your roadmap of strategies through to sanity”, reflected the difficulties that come with parenting traumatised children as well as the need for self-care to build the resilience required to keep going. Hughes’ words are echoed by Jefferies, who states that therapeutic parenting enables children ‘to self-regulate and develop an understanding of their behaviours and ultimately form secure attachments which will, ultimately, minimise the impact of childhood trauma.’ Empathy involves us opening our hearts and minds so that we can share in what others feel. When this is other people’s pain and despair, it can make us vulnerable.It is important to consider caring language with working with children who are looked after. We all use terms like ‘respite’ and ‘placements’ in front of children which is not ideal or thoughtful. Therapeutic Parenting is a nurturing parenting style developed from consistent, empathic, insightful connected responses to a child’s distress and behaviours, allowing the child to begin to self-regulate and develop an understanding of their behaviours, and ultimately form secure attachments and minimise the impact of childhood trauma. For me as a personal safety coach and physical intervention expert witness and advisor, it has been so interesting to talk to the parents about that moment – where they are feeling challenged about how they are still committed to being therapeutic in their approach and yet they have a moment where they are feeling physically threatened by the child, yet they are still trying to be therapeutic. And there’s a balance about feeling protected in yourself, so that you can then be effective in employing therapeutic approaches.

The Complete Guide to Therapeutic Parenting by Sarah Naish

Compassion fatigue is not a choice or decision but a natural response that protects us, in very challenging circumstances. We encourage our carers to come forward and talk to us if they are finding things difficult. We see this as a strength – not a weakness. Developmental trauma impacts on an individual’s understanding of relationships and can cause fear and anxiety even when they are no longer in the care of a negative caregiver. Therapeutic parenting offers invaluable advantages to children. By following this method a ‘child is likely to feel safe and supported while being more open to new learning and accepting the guidance and direction of the parents,’ explains Hughes.When small children display signs of sexualised behaviour, foster and adoptive parents find it repugnant. There’s plenty of good advice here on effective de-escalation techniques and Jane also refers to two courses* provided by the National Association of Therapeutic Parents (the NATP) as well as to the non-violence resistance courses available through many local authorities in the UK.

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Compassion fatigue is described as, ‘the risk of empathic connection with the pain of others’ or put more simply, ‘the cost of caring’. If this still doesn’t apply to your child therapeutic parenting techniques can still help parents and children who are struggling with certain issues. At Dynamis we know that every school in England has what they refer to as the “runners – children who try to leave the classroom or the school building. Our advice to them often is to get better fences! When a child really wants to leave the classroom, the way we would interpret that is that they’re in a panic state, and they’re in full “flight”. Something in that classroom has really set them off, has really triggered them and escalated their state. The last thing you want to do is keep that child in that space if opening a door to the classroom is a safe option for you. The main concern has to be that the child can’t get off the school premises, and thereby, in a tizzy, run in front of a car, for example. We would normally advise teachers to allow that child to escape the classroom if they really needed to. A parenting approach that you can use that will promote a feeling of safety for your child or children is called PACE – Playfulness, Acceptance, Curiosity and Empathy. Fi Newood, foster-adopt mum, psychotherapist, author and trainer. Why do we parent therapeutically?

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Both programmes have been written by Kim Golding, a Clinical Psychologist and Dyadic Developmental Practitioner (DDP network). Also known as Attachment-Focused Family Therapy, DDP supports the relationship between parents and children with developmental trauma, with the aim of healing past trauma and enabling the child to feel safe. If you want to find out more there are a number of therapeutic parenting books available. Naish’s books A-Z of Therapeutic Parenting – Strategies and Solutions, and Therapeutic Parenting in a Nutshell: Positives and Pitfalls are go-to publications for parents of children with attachment difficulties or children who have experienced childhood trauma. Both offer practical tips, advice and techniques on therapeutic parenting.