Children and Young People’s Services

What is the main focus of play therapy?

Play therapy is a form of psychotherapy that uses play to help children deal with emotional and mental health issues. By using play as the medium, children are able to explore their feelings and share them with the therapist or the parents.

What is NVR parenting?

Non-violent resistance (NVR) addresses violent, destructive and harmful behaviours in children and adolescents. NVR can help parents and carers overcome their sense of helplessness. It can help develop a support network that will stop violent and destructive behaviours both in and out of the home

The objective of life story work is to create a secure base for the looked-after child to explore their past, present and future. Life story work is an important way of helping a child to integrate their past into the present, in order to help them to move into the future.

How do you explain life in a work story?
‘Life story work’ means telling the story of a child’s life history to enable the child to understand their past. In the majority of cases this will involve direct work with the child, since even very young children can be involved in an age-appropriate way.

Direct practice social work is an approach for helping others that emphasizes strengths perspective and focuses on person to person contact with individuals, groups, or families. The primary goal of direct practice social work is to provide assistance to vulnerable populations within our society.

Safe Hands is a National School Programme for Children from 4^th to 6^th Class raising awareness and education on Domestic Violence, Bullying, Managing our Emotions and Safe People in our Lives. It is delivered in the Class room for one hour per week for 6 weeks. This Programme is available on Request to our service from Teachers and or Principals.

Parenting Through Trauma is an 8 week course for Mothers who are or have been Parenting through Domestic Violence and addresses the impact on their Parenting. This Support Programme focuses on the complexity of parenting through Domestic Violence and the impact on the mother and their children. It explores attachment, behaviour and Trauma in a supportive, empowering environment. This is an 8 week course which we run 3 times a year and is available through request to Women’s Aid Dundalk.