Play Therapy and Family Support

At Northside Partnership, we recognise the benefit of working in partnership with parents to facilitate the best, long-term outcomes for children. We offer a child-centred therapeutic support service to children and families who are experiencing difficulties. Depending on the nature of these difficulties, we will work with families in one or more of the following ways:

Play Therapy

Sometimes children experience difficulties and behave in ways that may cause disruption to their lives or be of concern to those around them. Play therapy provides children with an opportunity to ‘play out’ their thoughts, feelings and problems just as, in certain types of adult therapy, an individual ‘talks out’ their difficulties. Play therapy is useful for all children as it facilitates them in making sense of the world, reaching their potential and developing resilience and emotional intelligence.

For more information, please see: https://iaptp.ie/


Theraplay

Theraplay is a model of play therapy that works with the parent and child to build and enhance attachment bonds, self-esteem, trust in others, and joyful engagement. The therapist guides the parent and child through a tailored series of playful, fun games, developmentally challenging activities, and tender, nurturing experiences. The very act of engaging each other in this way helps the parent regulate the child's behaviour and communicate love, joy, and safety to the child. It helps the child feel secure, cared for, connected to and worthy.

For more information, please see: https://theraplay.org/

Circle of Security

Circle of Security is an eight-week, group reflection programme that is grounded in research relating to the healthy parent-child relationships. Research has proven that strong parent-child relationships give children the best foundations for positive physical, emotional, intellectual and social development. Circle of security teaches parents how to enhance the security of their relationship with their child whilst taking some time to reflect upon their own history of being parented. For more information, please see: https://www.circleofsecurityinternational.com/

Therapeutic Parenting

Therapeutic Parenting is a series of four interactive workshops designed to support parents to nurture their children throughout big feelings and challenging experiences. It will cover topics such as ‘big feelings in little people’, ‘basic play techniques to support children emotionally and socially’, ‘creative ways of helping children to cope’, ‘understanding the brain’ and ‘understanding challenging behaviour’. This workshop is best suited for parents of children aged between 2 – 8 years.

For more information, please contact:

Amy Fogarty
Northside Partnership, The Bell Building,
Darndale-Belcamp Village Centre, Darndale,
T: 01 877 1509
M: 087 298 8957
E: amy.fogarty@nspartnership.ie

This project is funded by the HSE / Dublin North East Drug and Alcohol Task Force and the RTE Comic Relief Fund