From trauma to trust - Applying a PACEful approach

A stencil on a wall of a woman with a caption bubble saying 'listen to you inner child'

The key to effective trauma-informed practice is the creation of safety in relationships, along with the demonstration of authentic and reliable trustworthiness. This approach supports child development, and even aids recovery from trauma. It also forms the foundation required to deliver other, sometimes more targeted, therapeutic interventions.

The PACE approach (developed by Dr. Dan Hughes) is widely recognised as an effective and successful relational approach to interacting with and supporting children who have experienced trauma in their relationships with caregivers.

This session outlines the 4 components of PACE (Playfulness, Acceptance, Curiosity and Empathy) by providing examples of PACEful interactions. It gives opportunities to explore the nuance of PACE-ful interactions and how they address the phenomenon of “blocked trust” in the child.

Dr. Dan Hughes has generously given his permission to ThinkWell Consultancy to deliver PACE training. PACE is a core component of Dr Hughes’ Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy (DDP), a therapeutic intervention model with children and their caregivers.

Target Audience: Supervisors, practitioners and people in care giving roles for children who have experienced trauma
Duration: Full or half day, we also offer a PACE refresher as a part of our Think Quick series
Location: on-line or in-person