Introduction to Therapeutic Work with Children will run in 2026

A four and a half day experiential workshop, this course is designed to teach participants how to help children deal with their difficult feelings and is intended to give an insight into the complexities of psychotherapeutic work with children.

Designed for practitioners who work with children in a variety of roles, from social workers, teachers and SENCO to nursery teachers, classroom assistants, school nurses and foster carers, the course addresses the many daily challenges faced by these professionals who encounter psychological distress and emotional difficulties presented by children.

This course is not a stand-alone qualification in child counselling or child psychotherapy. Participants of the course will receive a Terapia Certificate in Introduction to Therapeutic Work with Children which equates to 28 CPD hours.

Programme
Entry requirements
Accreditation
Tutors

Day One

Introduction to the course, getting to know each other
Contracting/agreement
Experiential exercises

Day Two & Three

Basic skills in therapeutic work with children
Understanding of attachment and attachment behaviours
Introduction to neuroscience (theories of Sue Gerhardt, Allan Schore, Dan Siegel, Louis Cozolino)
Aspects of early experiences of the infant and the infant care-giver relationship
Why do we need to observe an infant to understand a child and an adult?
Working with developmental trauma
Experiential exercises

Day Four

Recognising different stages of play – developmental play paradigm
Qualities of play
The differences between therapeutic play and play therapy
Understanding how play is used to facilitate healing – therapeutic play, play therapy, Theraplay, Filial Therapy
The risks of using play and how to keep safe
Experiential exercises

We will explore play through exercises that specifically focus on the different stages in the play paradigm and underpin the experiential with a number of theoretical approaches. Case material will illuminate how a traumatised child can be worked with through the medium of play and how an adult can utilise the child’s own creativity to process and integrate the traumatic material.

Day Five

Identifying play therapy and therapeutic play skills that can be used safely by participants in their work with children.

Basic skills in therapeutic work with children: relating and active listening.
Meaning behind the behaviour, symbolic communication and age appropriate interventions
Therapeutic framework and therapeutic alliance – building a therapeutic alliance and rapport.
Therapeutic and professional boundaries in working with children.
Working with parents and families.
Introduction to child development.
Experiential exercises.
Ending

The following attributes and personal qualities are required in those wishing to join courses at Terapia:

Professional experience or personal interest in therapeutic work with children and young people.

Terapia is associated to the following professional accreditations and academic qualifications:

UKCP (United Kingdom Council for Psychotherapy)