backgrounds was recently offered by children's centres in Watford.
Shyvonne Thompson represents one of them.
Why Loving Children Matters is a course from Hertfordshire-based counselling and play therapy charity BrQthru. Course literature says the aim is to 'strengthen carer-child relationships that have been affected by domestic violence.'
The course is run for groups of up to ten parents with or without their children and comprises four modules, covering attachment, the effect of trauma on a child's brain, play techniques and the importance of touch and positive associations with physical contact. They are run as 1.5-hour sessions each week over four weeks.
The course was devised using materials drawn from the work of play therapists Garry Landreth and Debbie Maskell Graham and includes information on the importance of a secure attachment and understanding what type of attachment style the parent has with their child.
The course also focuses extensively on play - such as the importance of messy play for children in expressing 'messy overwhelming feelings'.
All the children's centres in Watford decided to run the course in a joint initiative to offer support to families who have experienced domestic violence.
Shyvonne Thompson, an early years worker from Leavesden Children's Centre, says, 'Many of the participants volunteered themselves, whereas others were referred to the course. The course encouraged parents to use play techniques that would enable them to recognise, and respond to, their child's anxiety.
'I was struck by just how effective and positive they were. Many of the parents commented that it was a great opportunity for them to view and experience their child in ways they had not previously. I noticed improved parent-child communication through the methods that had been adopted from the course, evident in their interaction in the group.'
- www.brqthru.co.uk.
