Since the start of the pandemic, Kids Inspire have supported over 3800 people through its youth mental health service, so taking time out to skillshare and train – both old and new colleagues - is essential for their 60-strong clinical team.

A team of play, art, drama, trauma and adult therapists, psychologists and counsellors came together today to bond and learn over an experiential session run by Laine Jadderberg, Child and Adolescent Psychotherapist and Clinical Supervisor.

The session is the first time in 18-months that the team have met together face-to-face. Working independently and in small groups they were asked “to connect with their selves” and to creatively “share their own experience of being parented”.

Using small world and art resources to do the activities, one of the team spoke about the importance of doing this prior to meeting with a vulnerable client: “Its important to come with a neutral mindset when meeting a client for the first time and to avoid bringing your own preconceptions into a meeting space.”

Another went on to explain: “Putting yourself in the shoes of the client helps to remind us as practitioners, how they feel when they first meet a member of the Kids Inspire clinical team.”

Later the session moved on to look at the ‘20 tasks of parenting’ – an idea that Laine has developed during her seven years of doctorate research and with results from a parent and child clinical trial.

Sharing her work, Laine also sought professional insight and input from the Kids Inspire team asking them to consider how they work with the family dynamic, especially during the pandemic when therapists saw their work move online and “into the client’s home and space.”

Training and development is important for all colleagues and considering the past 18-months working on the frontline with children, young people and adults the specialist session today was all the more important for professional development as well as wellbeing support.

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