Theraplay
Theraplay® in Rotherham: playful, structured parent and child sessions that strengthen attachment, regulation and connection between children and their carers.
Theraplay® is a structured, focused approach designed to strengthen the attachment between children and their parents or carers. Sessions are fun, playful, interactive and personal. Based on Attachment Theory, Theraplay® models the healthy, secure and positive relationship between a parent or carer and their child.
Theraplay® is multi-sensory, using touch, movement, rhythm, eye contact and emotion – all key to brain regulation and relational development.
The four dimensions of Theraplay®
- Structure: the adult leads, creating organisation and predictability that help the child feel safe.
- Engagement: the adult is fully present, so the child feels seen, heard, felt and accepted.
- Nurture: the adult provides care that calms and soothes, helping the child feel good physically and emotionally.
- Challenge: the adult supports the child to master new skills, building competence and confidence.
What happens in sessions
The therapist guides parent and child through playful games, developmentally appropriate challenges and nurturing activities. Engaging in this way helps the parent regulate the child's behaviour and communicate love, joy and safety, so the child feels secure, cared for and connected.
These shared experiences build attunement and understanding, mirroring the early relationship experiences that lead to secure attachment. Parents learn to play with their child in a way that builds felt safety, increases social engagement, supports regulation and develops positive self-esteem for both child and parent.
For more about Theraplay®, visit the Theraplay Institute.
Children's Therapy Services is an approved Adoption & Special Guardianship Support Fund (ASGSF) provider, so this service may be funded for eligible adopted children and children under a special guardianship order. Read about the Adoption Support Fund.
How to get started
To find out more or to make a referral, email us at info@childrenstherapy.online or use our referral page. We are based at Office 6, Fitzwilliam Road, Rotherham, and work with families across South Yorkshire, including Barnsley, Doncaster, Sheffield and Wakefield.