Families

We work with families in many ways, to help to create healthier, happier relationships and to reduce distress. Here are a few examples of how we do this - but don't feel like you need to fit into one of these sections in order to speak to us. We recognise that families come in all shapes and sizes and we don't have any specific criteria. If you are reading this and wondering how we might be able to help, please do give us a call to discuss the possibilities.

Becoming a family

The transition to parenthood can bring lots of challenges. There is a huge amount of change to make sense of physically, practically and in relation to our identity. For many parents there are also experiences of profound loss and trauma along the perinatal journey itself. And then we enter into a new relationship with our bump or baby and this often awakens big, complex and sometimes unexpected feelings from our own early experiences that can have a profound impact on our sense of self and on this emerging relationship, as well as with the others around us. Unsurprisingly, many parents describe emotional experiences in this period that are more intense and overwhelming than any that they have previously experienced.

Our work with new or 'becoming' families aims to help people make sense of these experiences and to tune into and respond to their own and each others' needs.

Reducing family conflict

Not all conflict is unhealthy, but some patterns of family conflict can be hurtful and damaging. If you're worried about conflict within your family, whether that is heated arguments between parents or other family members, or a child or teenager acting aggressively, or potentially an adult who struggles to communicate with others in non-violent ways, then we think that we could offer you something useful. Our work on reducing family conflict is informed by the Non-Violent Resistance (NVR) model, which is based in non-violent principles including peaceful protest. NVR has a good evidence base for families where children are showing aggressive behaviours or are taking risks that are unacceptable to the parents, like using drugs or becoming involved with gangs. Using this model, parents are encouraged to increase their presence, make stronger links with supportive others, make a clear announcement to the child about standing up to the aggression, demonstrate compassion and caring gestures to the child, conduct sit ins and engage in self-care practices. NVR does not need to be limited to these kinds of difficulties though - the evidence base is expanding rapidly to include other relational difficulties and conflicts. NVR is usually a method used for parents rather than the whole family together, although clinicians often meet the children in the family at some point during the therapeutic journey.

Childhood anxiety

We can work with families where childhood anxiety is a concern. To do this we use a model called SPACE - Supportive Parenting for Anxious Childhood Experiences. This is based on the Non-Violent Resistance model but has been adapted to work for children where anxiety and sometimes controlling or compulsive behaviour is a concern, rather than aggression. The SPACE model is particularly useful when therapy for the child alone has not necessarily been effective, or when a family approach is indicated. This work involves the parents working with a clinician as well as the child.

Separated families

We provide work with families who have separated and might have been involved with the family courts. We provide therapeutic interventions that are tailored to the family's needs and might include what is sometimes known as multimodal family work, meeting with different people and pairs or groups of people within the family system at different times. The focus on the child's needs and really understanding the child's experience is held at the centre of the work, although it is often the case that we meet with parents for several sessions before involving the child, particularly if there has been a period of separation between the child and one parent. Through this work we aim to repair ruptured relationships, to reduce conflict and to promote healing.

At the moment we do not run any groups on these or other topics, but we are working on our plans for these with an eye on a post-COVID future. If you would like to speak to us about these interventions, or about the potential for group work, please do get in touch.