Working with looked after and adopted children: complex trauma and art therapy

This course promotes best practice in working safely, ethically and effectively with children who are looked after, on Special Guardianship orders, in kinship care or adoption. You will gain knowledge of current good practice in this field and become familiar with the specific contributions art therapists can make when working with complex trauma.

Book tickets

Date & Time

Friday 24 – Saturday 25 March 2023

10am - 4pm

Who this event is for

Qualified art therapists only

Tickets

Non-members: £285

Associate members: £220

Full members
Employed: £220
Underemployed: £190
Unemployed/retired: £180

Please create a free booking account if you don't have one or are not a member.

Location

Delivered via Zoom, information for the day and invite to join will be sent 1 week before

Working with looked after and adopted children: complex trauma and art therapy

This course promotes best practice in working safely, ethically and effectively with children who are looked after, on Special Guardianship orders, in kinship care or adoption. You will gain knowledge of current good practice in this field and become familiar with the specific contributions art therapists can make when working with complex trauma.

More and more art therapists are working with this population of children through different funding streams and in different organisational settings, particularly schools. Many are working as independent or private practitioners.

This work is often complex and requires systemic and holistic thinking, and a thorough understanding of the neurobiology of maltreatment and the importance of family and relational healing. It is a specialist area of work requiring specialist knowledge, which this course aims to provide.

What you will learn

The course will include:

  • An outline of our understanding of complex trauma in children and its impact on body and brain development.
  • Implications of this for therapeutic practice.
  • Practical ideas for helping children with emotion regulation.
  • The key role of caregivers/parents in supporting and being involved in the therapy and the recovery process.
  • The impact of caring for or being part of the system around a child/young person with a complex trauma history.
  • Experiential learning in the form of art making and art materials and their role in emotional regulation and sensory integration learning outcomes.
  • How to work safely and ethically with children who are looked after, in kinship care, adopted or on Special Guardianship Orders.
  • Knowledge of current best practice in working with children who have experienced complex trauma.
  • Understanding the important role of caregivers/parents in a child’s recovery.
  • Which specific contributions art therapists can make when working with complex trauma.

You will learn through presentations by the trainers, small and large group sharing and discussion, and experiential learning.

Tutors

Anthea Hendry and Katie Wrench

Excellent course providing essential information for working with this client group.

Frequently asked questions