For Foster Carers
Specialist Training for Foster Carers
An Introduction to Therapeutic Play
Some comments from participants in my recent course for Banya Family Placement Agency.
"We need her again. Very good"
"Please bring this lady back for more trainings"
"Very very interesting. Would be great to have more of this training. Very well presented"
The course comprises of 2 x 2 hour 30 minute sessions or one full day of 6 hours.
Consisting of:
An examination of play and its uses
How therapeutic play differs from other forms
Advantages of the use of therapeutic play
Therapeutic play techniques
When and how to use therapeutic play
Practice and role plays
I train using a highly interactive workshop style, responding to the needs of the participants and allowing a considerable amount of time for questions, discussion and opportunities for practicing the play techniques.
Winnicott's "Containment Theory"
The Child Development Theory I use comes from Dr Sue Jennings work on Embodiment, Projection and Role.
Play and Creative Therapy theory comes from the work of Dr Anne Bannister
Biography
Since 1990 I have worked with people with experience of
abuse. This has always included developing and delivering training for workers
in this frequently stressful field.
From 1990-93 I worked with adults with experience of sexual abuse and domestic violence at Manchester Rape Crisis and an NCH counselling project.
In 1993 I began working in an NCH Family Centre. The Family
Centre assesses the parenting skills of parents with children aged 5 and under;
for court. Most of the children live in foster care during the assessment
period. At the time I was there the staff team worked intensively with the
families for up to 9 months. We used group-work, family work and individual
work with the children and their parent/s.
Next I worked for 6 years as a Play Therapist for Family
Services Unit. Again, the majority of children were “Looked After” and
under 14 years.
All the children I worked with had experience of various forms of abuse.
During this time I developed a Parents Consultation Service in response to parents and foster
carers requests for help, support and information.
Whilst there I developed and revised the project’s Child
Protection Policy and Procedures.
A brief agency position in Kirklees Foster and Adoption Unit
compiling Life Story material gave me a statutory perspective.
From there I joined a small and innovative Manchester charity where therapeutic approaches were combined with complimentary therapies. Again we worked with children and families. As senior therapist I ran the Play Therapy Service and the Parents Service and worked directly with clients of all ages as well as supervising other therapists. Some clients were referred by Social Services, some by other voluntary agencies and many self referred.
Since 2003 I have run my own private practice providing support for parents.
I am currently devising and providing training to workers at a post-domestic abuse project in Lancashire.
