I've been wanting my colleague Dr. Catherine Tucker to come on the pod for awhile now to discuss Theraplay, a therapeutic modality that utilizes the child-parent relationship to foster secure attachment through play-based activities.
Catherine illuminates this modality, where the Practitioner guides the parent and child through playful, fun games, developmentally challenging activities, and tender, nurturing activities that helps the parent regulate the child's behavior and communicate love, joy, and safety to the child. Connecting in this way helps the child feel secure, cared for, connected and worthy.
Who doesn't want that? We also talk about the power of presence, the concept of cycle starting, healing intergenerational trauma, and and the role of play in emotional regulation. We also discuss the embracing imperfection in parenting and focusing on connection over control in our relationships with our children.
One of my goals in my work is to empower parents to be conscious and educated consumers as seek support for their child and themselves. You can find more information about Theraplay here: https://theraplay.org/the-theraplay-institute/
And here you can look for a Theraplay practitioner in your area: https://community.theraplay.org/search/custom.asp?id=7042
If you are local to Asheville and want to work with Catherine directly, you can locate her practice here!
https://drcatherinetucker.com/?gclid=CjwKCAjwooq3BhB3EiwAYqYoEjKhpoc7C-GL4rfow9TicXeqgFgLgObUgdUAj1Zds19o0jkCjDfNexoC2TcQAvD_BwE
Takeaways
*TheraPlay is a playful, evidence-based modality for healing.
*The parent-child relationship is central to emotional well-being.
*Presence and co-regulation are essential in therapy.
*Play is a powerful tool for creating felt safety.
*Parents often carry intergenerational trauma that affects their parenting.
*It's important to validate children's feelings and experiences.
*Healing is a process that can happen in real-time.
*Parents should focus on connection rather than compliance.
*Mistake-making is a natural part of learning and growth.
*Therapy can help repair attachment ruptures, no matter the age.
Chapters
02:41 The Journey into Attachment Therapy
06:37 The Magic of TheraPlay
12:33 The Importance of Parental Healing
18:41 Attachment and Therapy
20:59 Building Secure Attachments
28:17 The Power of Playfulness and Attunement in Building Secure Attachments
35:36 Repairing Ruptures: Creating Felt Safety
41:49 Challenging Traditional Parenting Models
45:10 Healing Trauma through Therapy and Attuned Relationships
