THERAPY

Happy, Healthy Young people

SABRINA MAYNARD

I, Sabrina Maynard am a qualified counsellor registered with the BACP offering person centred counselling to adults and children. I adopt a person-centred approach which means the intervention offered is led by the client and the way I work with them is tailored to their individual needs. I listen to how the client feels and work with the client to help them understand their feelings and work towards positive change.

I am also a qualified and registered social worker and have lots of experience of working with adults, children, and families. I provide a safe and non-judgemental environment and I follow the guidance offered by the BACP.

In addition to the above, I recognise that when working with young people who have experienced trauma or are currently looked after, it is paramount that I use an approach that will meet their needs, support with their mental health, and improve their outcomes. I also acknowledge that it is important to see beyond the presenting issues to understand the young person as a whole. Therefore, when working with children and young people who have experienced trauma, I use the PACE model as I believe that this model supports the young person as a whole on their therapeutic journey.

OUR THERAPEUTIC APPROACH

PACE: Playfulness, Acceptance, Curiosity, Empathy A trauma-informed approach to supporting children and young people

PACE is a way of thinking, feeling, communicating and behaving that aims to make children and young people feel safe. It is particularly effective in meeting the needs of children and young people who have experienced trauma. Developed by clinical psychologist, Dan Hughes, the approach focuses on building trusting relationships, emotional connections, containment and a sense of security. Given the current situation, it will be important for us to consider the PACE approach in our practice when children and young people return to school. This summary has been compiled from a range of sources and aims to provide you with some background information about PACE and practical examples of how it can be successfully used in practice.

What is PACE?
PACE was developed by Dan Hughes more than 20 years ago as a central part of attachment-focused family therapy, with the aim of supporting adults to build safe, trusting and meaningful relationships with children and young people who have experienced trauma. It is based on the way that caregivers interact with very young infants. It describes a way of relating to others or ‘a way of being’. It pays attention to how we deliver messages to children and young people through our communication. The principles offer a useful framework from which we can develop attunement and strengthen our relationships with the children and young people we work with. PACE stands for Playfulness, Acceptance, Curiosity and Empathy.

Using PACE helps adults to slow down their reactions, stay calm and tune into what the child is experiencing in the moment. It supports us to gain a better understanding of what the child is feeling. In tricky moments it allows us to stay emotionally regulated and guide the child through their heightened emotions, thoughts and behaviours. In turn, PACE helps children and young people to feel more connected to, and understood by, important adults in their life and ultimately, to slow down their own responses.

Why is PACE important?
PACE focuses on the whole child, not simply the behaviour. It helps children be more secure with adults and reflect upon themselves, their thoughts, feelings and behaviour, building the skills that are necessary for maintaining a successful and satisfying life. The child discovers that they are doing the best that they can and avoids labelling themselves negatively.

When children experience adults doing the best they can to understand them and trying to work out together more effective ways for the child to understand, make sense of and manage their emotions, thoughts and behaviour they start to believe that adults really will keep on trying until things get better for all of them.