INTERPLAY THERAPY

 Interplay is a non-directive approach that combines humanistic principles with attachment theory and interpersonal neurobiology (how the mind is shaped by relationship). In Interplay therapy parents and care givers become central to the child's therapeutic process. Our core belief is that therapists should see children within their family system and for optimal growth and healing within their attachment relationships.

Interplay supports children and parents to explore and reorganise experiences that may have contributed to their wellbeing. By way of interplay, both child and parent can develop self insight and insight into each other. There can be a strengthening of the parent child relationship, and movement towards a calmer and more connected parent child relationship.

  Interplay therapists enter the child and parents/carers world through play and take note of the interaction/reaction and the child and parents’ response. By validating and responding to this experience offering therapeutic insight and support through coregulation, both children and parents develop self-insight, insight into each other, integration, and regulation, strengthening the child and parent/carer relationship. Interplay supports children and parents/carers to explore and reorganise experiences that may have contributed to their wellbeing, enabling growth and healing to occur and a beautiful canvas for a new beginning. 

Interplay is beneficial for a wide range of children & their parents or caregivers (kinship carers/foster carers, adoptive parents) from birththrough lifespan, as it is designed to help facilitate attachment, connection, safety, and secure relationships. Interplay is suitable for children who are non-verbal or have delayed communication skills as play does not require spoken language. 

Interplay is particularly useful when there has been a disruption to the attachment between a parent/carer and child, where there is shared trauma between the parent and child, or circumstances where the family would benefit from strengthening relationships.

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Interplay has been used to support children who are;

• experienced medical trauma and/or complex disability
• children with out of home care experiences
• suffered grief or single incident trauma 
• shy, withdrawn, anxious or experience separation anxiety
• impulsive, hyper aroused, difficultly regulating 
• depression
• self-harm and / or suicidal ideation
• Autism
• ADHD
• AuDHD
• Global development delay
• Cerebral Palsy
• Down Syndrome
• Other diagnosis not listed here

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Interplay Therapy helps a child develop secure attachment and attunement as it focuses on healing through the relationship. It also supports the parent and child relationship to overcome adversity, create safe and secure connections, cohesion and to heal from past trauma or disruption. 

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Interplay helps both the child and parent/carer to better understand the other's experiences. This understanding provides parents with valuable insight into what lies behind their child's behaviours and emotional outbursts, when we understand the 'why' we can begin to offer authentic co-regulation. When children feel safe, seen, understood and connected they are then able to make leaps in their social and emotional development. For the child it also creates a more positive sense of self and emotional wellbeing. 

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The outcome of Interplay is that both the child and parent heal past experiences within a secure attachment relationship, reorganising their nervous system and rewriting their early attachment relationship. 

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There is no right or wrong way to play in this space and both child and parent is authentically and non-judgmentally supported by the therapist.