What we do
Heal trauma through creative therapies and create hope - through action
The journey to Hope
For The love of a child is committed to every child who has suffered trauma loss or bereavement or is struggling with their emotional/mental health and wellbeing.
For the love of a child offers free therapeutic sessions to those that are most in need the child’s journey to hope starts with being referred to Floc. We receive referrals from parents/carers, teachers ,social workers or any frontline agency or worker of children and families. Children and young people can be referred aged 0-18 years to one on one or group therapy. If a child is younger we would work with the parent and child together. Each child is then assessed to ascertain the correct therapeutic intervention for that child whether that be group or individual sessions or any other services that they can be recommended. If you or your organisation would like to refer a child to our services (see link to a referral form), if you are an organisation that would like to partner with our work and find out more about our programmes and training please follow the link here to make an enquiry.
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As well as offering individual and bespoke group work We also use specifically written children's programmes that target a child's trauma at the correct developmental level to help children work through their issues in a safe and supportive way. In our programmes we utilise all the art forms including, stories, metaphors, music, art, drama, and puppets so the children can explore issues in a non threatening way. (LINK to Dramatherapy importance of play).
The ultimate aim of our projects and programmes are to see a significant difference in the psychosocial wellbeing and emotional/mental health and well-being in children and young people. We hope to foster an environment where children can feel safe and free to explore some of the hardships they have faced in life. We aim to improve children’s emotional/mental health, and wellbeing and address the significant health inequalities which exist in the areas we work as well as reduce the levels of exclusion faced by some of the most vulnerable members of our society. The children who participate in our programmes will increase their resourcefulness and resilience, particularly when they’re faced with barriers or obstacles. We want to equip children with the tools and capacity to traverse some of the steepest climbs out of poverty and trauma.
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Our programmes have had government recognition and have shown in evaluation that over 80% of children who attended our programmes had improvement in their psychosocial emotional/mental health and well-being, and allowed children to explore their trauma in a safe and fun way.
All our therapists are qualifieds art psychotherapists including dramatherapists, art and music therapists or play therapists. They are all HCPC registered and are PVG /Dbs checked and are members of their appropriate professional bodies.
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In a crisis we may also provide emergency relief , like food or shelter before providing a therapeutic input.
For The Love of a Child is committed to working with the child and their family to help support the healing process so we will also provide teaching and training or therapy to parents/carers of children to further support the child’s journey to hope. We may also offer parent and child work. We also train and equip organisations or charity partners on the delivery and set up of our projects and programmes.
Fundamental to us, is that if a child is struggling with their mental health or having emotional difficulties at home or school or is on the streets, moving across borders, in a refugee camp or an institution; whether they're at risk of child marriage, dangerous work, recovering from the trauma of living in a war zone or being exploited and abused – we're there, finding new ways to reach children who need us most, no matter where they're growing up. To help them heal and find hope.
What are the issues we deal with
ACE’s
Trauma
anxiety/depression
Loss
Self-harm
abuse/neglect
Identity
OCD
ASD
Low self esteem
Fears and phobias
Where we work
Dundee and Scotland - we offer group and one-on-one therapy to children and young people from 3-18 years. In an allocated therapy space We follow a full referral assessment and evaluation process. And all our therapists are registered with their professional bodies.
Psychosocial Programmes
BE YOU Adolescence programme
For young people aged 12-18 years who are struggling with their emotional/mental health and well-being and identity issues.
Dundee
We offer the Listening stone programme a group dramatherapy project and deliver this in Schools /organisations across Scotland. Including primary schools, special needs schools, learning centres, and with foster and adoption agencies.
UK - Derby
We work with Afghan refugees offering group dramatherapy and adult support groups, we also offer individual therapy in this area to children and young people.
In all our projects, we work closely with all parents/carers to support the whole family and network around the child.
International projects
Iraq
Refugees children and families - Sam’s House project.
We establish safe spaces in poor areas of tented settlement areas to deliver our Sam’s House psychosocial dramatherapy programmes for young children aged 3-8 years old. For children who have experienced trauma and poverty and lack of education.
Past projects
Lebanon
India