Therapeutic Support

Life Story Work
Designed to help adopted individuals explore and understand their personal history, from birth to the present. It involves creating a "life story" that includes information about their birth family, early experiences, and their journey to adoption. This narrative is often compiled into a tangible resource, such as a life story book, which can be revisited and shared over time. The practice helps adopted people to inform and build their identity, have open communication, be empowered in owning their own story and supports their mental wellbeing.

Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy (DDP)
DDP is a treatment developed by Dan Hughes who has worked with adopters and their children for many years. The practice is for children who have been hurt and/or neglected within their families in their earliest years, which can often lead to issues with attachment and development. The therapy aims to help children feel safe within their adoptive family and recover from their trauma, more information can be found here. 

Neuro-Physiological Psychotherapy (NPP)
An integrative therapeutic approach to working with adopted children who have experienced early life trauma. The multidisciplinary therapeutic treatment has been developed by Family Futures and is a therapy for traumatised adopted children specifically. It offers a sustained programme of interventions that support the child and their family over an extended period. Further information can be found on the Family Futures website.

Play Therapy 

The child led practice helps children work through difficult emotions and trauma using play. Through each play activity, the therapist tries to find meaning which is reflected back to the child to help improve their wellbeing and any behaviour issues or mental health concerns. More information and a list of registered play therapists can be found here. There are several types of play therapy available for adopted families such as, Filial Play Therapy and Theraplay. 
 

Mentalisation Based Therapy
Aims to improve an individual's ability to mentalise in close relationships. Mentalisation is the ability to think about thinking, the term 'mentalise' refers to the capacity to understand the feelings of others . The therapy is designed to increase understanding of each other’s thoughts and feelings, a particular challenge for adopted children who have suffered trauma, and also for their parents as children’s reactions can be coloured by assumptions inherited from past adverse experiences of parenting. Mentalisation based treatment offers adoptive parents ways to build relationships with their children, increasing attachment, trust and security