Theraplay

Although the words are very similar, TheraPlay is different to our Play Therapy provision at JSA and is a trademarked therapy that has proved incredibly effective for clients young and old. TheraPlay works on a process of building attachments through playful engagement and has proved to be a highly effective therapy for dealing with and healing the wounds of attachment-based trauma.

Young people in particular need to be in a physically and mentally safe place before they can effectively process trauma. They need a network around them and they need to develop resilience. TheraPlay is a fantastic tool to offer these foundations.

During TheraPlay sessions, both the parent/carer and child are present in the therapy space, and so it is essential that the parent in question is open to the therapy on offer that aims to help and support the child in their care. A course of 28 weeks has proven to be an effective timescale for this therapy to yield results, with sessions involving the clients taking place for approximately one hour per week.

All of our work at JSA is based on our ‘3D’ model of exploring Disorganised attachment, Developmental trauma and Dissociation. These three Ds underpin our work very clearly through TheraPlay, and we pride ourselves on this and incorporating the work of Dr Bruce Perry and the Child Trauma Academy in order to ensure that we stay on the cutting edge of therapeutic care and intervention for the benefit of young people.