Therapeutic parenting offers a proven, compassionate approach to supporting children who’ve experienced trauma. In this blog, we explore four core techniques—alongside real-life examples—that help children feel safe, understood, and emotionally secure. From the PACE model to co-regulation, discover how therapeutic parenting transforms lives.
TL;DR
Therapeutic parenting is a trauma-informed approach that helps children feel safe, connected, and emotionally supported. This blog explores four essential techniques — safe and predictable care, PACE therapeutic parenting, emotion coaching, and co-regulation — with real-life examples from children’s homes. Perfect for carers, professionals, or anyone asking what is therapeutic parenting, this guide shows how simple, compassionate strategies can build trust and promote healing.
Therapeutic Parenting and the Power of Safe, Predictable Care
One of the most vital pillars of therapeutic parenting is the creation of a safe and predictable environment. This is not simply about routines or rules — it’s about creating a felt sense of safety in a child’s nervous system. For children who have experienced neglect, abuse, loss, or instability, the world has often been unpredictable, frightening, or even dangerous.
They may have learned early on that adults are unreliable, that their needs might not be met, and that expressing emotion may lead to rejection or harm.
In this context, therapeutic parenting is not just a strategy — it is a lifeline. It offers children a stable emotional and physical space where their brains can begin to rewire, their bodies can relax, and their attachments can begin to heal.
Why Safety is More Than Physical
When we talk about “safety” in therapeutic parenting, we mean more than keeping a child physically protected. Emotional safety is equally crucial.
A traumatised child may not feel safe in a loving home until they’ve experienced enough consistent care to believe that the adults around them are trustworthy. That belief doesn’t form overnight — it builds slowly through thousands of small, safe interactions.
Therapeutic parenting focuses on predictability in tone, body language, and emotional response. When a child throws something or refuses to eat, and the adult responds with calm understanding rather than shouting or punishment, the child receives a powerful, repeated message: “You are safe. I can handle your big feelings. You don’t have to protect yourself alone anymore.”
The Importance of Routine and Rhythm
Daily routines are a fundamental aspect of therapeutic parenting. For a child who’s lived in chaos or uncertainty, even the smallest predictable pattern can feel stabilising. Knowing that breakfast happens at 8am, story time is after tea, or that the same carer will be present at bedtime each night, helps reduce anxiety.
For children in residential care, therapeutic parenting might include:
- A gentle, consistent morning routine with clear expectations.
- Visual timetables and sensory-friendly clocks to aid time management.
- Transition warnings before moving between activities (e.g. “In five minutes, we’ll be getting ready for lunch”).
- A regular keyworker who provides check-ins at the same time each day.
Predictability regulates the nervous system. It says to the child: “Nothing unexpected is going to hurt you here.” Over time, this regulation becomes internalised. The child learns to self-soothe, to trust, and eventually, to thrive.
Emotional Consistency Builds Attachment
Children who have experienced relational trauma are often hypervigilant — always watching for changes in facial expressions, voice tone, or mood. They may have learned to expect anger, withdrawal, or inconsistency from adults. This makes emotional consistency from carers absolutely essential.
A core principle of therapeutic parenting is “regulate first, relate second, reason last.” In other words:
- Regulate: Help the child feel emotionally safe through calm body language and tone.
- Relate: Show understanding and connection, even in the face of difficult behaviour.
- Reason: Once the child is calm and feeling safe, only then can guidance or boundaries be discussed.
This technique helps the adult avoid reactive discipline and instead maintain a relational approach — one that prioritises healing and connection over control.
Real-Life Examples of Safe and Predictable Therapeutic Parenting
Example 1:
The Bedtime Struggle
Liam, age 9, enters care after several years of instability. Each night, bedtime triggers intense anxiety. He resists brushing his teeth, lashes out, or refuses to go upstairs.
His carers, using therapeutic parenting, don’t punish or raise their voices. Instead, they introduce a consistent bedtime routine: a warm bath, a nightlight, and the same carer reading the same book.
Over weeks, Liam begins to settle. The predictability soothes his fears. He begins to associate bedtime with comfort and connection, rather than threat.
Example 2:
The Morning Meltdown
Ella, 13, struggles with transitions. Every school morning ends in a meltdown. Using therapeutic parenting, her carers introduce a visual schedule and morning playlist she helped create.
They give her a five-minute warning before each transition and greet her with the same calm “good morning” each day.
Over time, her anxiety around mornings reduces, and she begins engaging in small acts of independence — like choosing her clothes or packing her bag.
When Predictability Meets Flexibility
While routine is crucial, it’s important to note that therapeutic parenting is not rigid. Children may need flexibility within structure, especially when trauma responses are triggered. Skilled carers offer “planned flexibility” — gently adapting expectations when a child is overwhelmed, without abandoning the structure altogether.
This balance reassures the child that their needs are seen, while maintaining the emotional scaffolding they depend on.
The Long-Term Impact
Children who experience safe, predictable care through therapeutic parenting often show:
- Reduced anxiety and aggression
- Improved emotional regulation
- Increased school attendance and learning engagement
- Stronger, more secure attachments
- Greater confidence and willingness to explore the world
Over time, these children not only survive — they begin to trust, to heal, and to grow into emotionally secure young people with the capacity to build healthy relationships.
PACE Therapeutic Parenting – Building Trust Through Connection
One of the most respected and widely used frameworks in therapeutic parenting is the PACE model — a trauma-informed approach developed by Dr Dan Hughes to help carers connect meaningfully with children who have experienced neglect, abuse, loss, or attachment disruption.
In the context of therapeutic parenting, PACE isn’t just a method — it’s a mindset. It offers a compassionate lens through which carers view behaviour, emotional outbursts, and even withdrawal, not as defiance, but as communication.
Children who need therapeutic parenting often carry invisible wounds. They may mistrust adults, feel unsafe in relationships, or struggle with emotional regulation. PACE therapeutic parenting offers a framework for meeting these children with empathy, consistency, and emotional availability.
It helps rebuild what trauma has damaged: a child’s belief that adults are safe, emotions are manageable, and connection is possible.
Let’s break it down.
What is PACE in Therapeutic Parenting?
PACE stands for:
- Playfulness
- Acceptance
- Curiosity
- Empathy
Each element supports emotional healing in distinct yet interconnected ways. Together, they form the emotional core of effective therapeutic parenting.
Playfulness: Disarming Defence Through Joy
Traumatised children often live in a state of high alert. Their nervous systems are tuned to detect threat, not to seek connection. Playfulness, when used with sensitivity and timing, helps lower emotional defences.
It brings warmth and humour into the relationship, sending the message: “You’re safe. We can enjoy each other.”
This doesn’t mean being silly all the time. It means using a light-hearted tone to soothe stress and prevent escalation. For example:
- Turning a frustrating moment (like putting on shoes) into a light game.
- Smiling gently while making eye contact to signal kindness.
- Using story-based role play to explore tough topics or emotions.
In therapeutic parenting, playfulness creates shared joy — a key building block in relational repair.
Acceptance: Separating the Child From the Behaviour
Acceptance in PACE therapeutic parenting means accepting the inner experience of the child — their emotions, fears, and needs — even when their outward behaviour is challenging. A carer might say, “I understand that you’re feeling really angry right now. That’s okay.” This communicates: “You are not your behaviour. I see you.”
Importantly, acceptance is not approval of harmful behaviour. It’s about showing the child that they are still valued and cared for, even when they are struggling. This is especially healing for children who have internalised shame or rejection.
Why this matters in therapeutic parenting:
- It builds emotional resilience.
- It reduces the child’s need to test adults through extreme behaviour.
- It supports the development of self-worth and identity.
Curiosity: Exploring Without Judgement
Many children in care have never been asked, gently and without pressure, “What was going on for you when that happened?” Curiosity allows carers to approach behaviour not as something to punish, but something to understand.
Rather than jumping to conclusions or issuing consequences, therapeutic parenting encourages carers to stay open and inquisitive:
- “I wonder if you felt scared when that happened.”
- “I noticed you seemed really quiet after your phone call. Can you help me understand that?”
In PACE therapeutic parenting, curiosity creates space for reflection, not shame. It also models healthy emotional inquiry — showing the child that it’s safe to explore their own feelings and motives.
Empathy: Meeting Emotion With Presence
The final — and perhaps most powerful — element of PACE therapeutic parenting is empathy. Children in care often carry emotional burdens far too heavy for their age.
When they share that pain, or when it spills out in tears, rage, or withdrawal, they need someone who can sit with them in it — not fix it, not punish it, but witness it.
Empathy in therapeutic parenting might sound like:
- “That must have felt really lonely.”
- “I’m so sorry that happened to you.”
- “I’m here. You don’t have to go through this alone.”
Empathy helps the child feel felt. It gives them permission to express big feelings safely and, over time, regulate them with support.
How PACE Therapeutic Parenting Works in Children’s Homes
In a residential care setting, PACE therapeutic parenting isn’t just a tool — it’s embedded in the culture. Carers are trained to:
- Respond to behaviour with emotional insight rather than consequence alone.
- Use consistent language and tone across the staff team.
- Reflect together on what a child’s behaviour may be communicating.
- Use PACE techniques during high-stress moments — bedtime, mealtimes, transitions.
This shared approach provides traumatised children with what they often need most: emotional consistency across multiple adults.
Real-World Examples of PACE in Action
Example 1:
The Slammed Door
A young boy, Alex, slams his door and yells “I hate this place!” A traditional approach might see this as rudeness. But with therapeutic parenting, his carer uses PACE:
- Curiosity: “I wonder if something felt unfair about what happened?”
- Empathy: “It must be hard to feel like no one’s listening.”
- Acceptance: “It’s okay to feel angry.”
- Playfulness: Later, after repair, the carer lightens the mood with a shared joke or drawing session — restoring connection.
Example 2:
Withdrawal at Mealtime
Sophie refuses to eat. Instead of enforcing a “you must eat” rule, her carer uses therapeutic parenting to say:
- “You don’t have to eat right now, but I’ll sit with you.”
- “I wonder if something’s feeling hard today?”
- “Would you like to help me stir the soup later?”
No shame. No pressure. Just presence — which often leads Sophie to eat on her own terms later.
Why PACE Matters So Deeply in Therapeutic Parenting
Children in care are not just misbehaving — they are surviving. PACE therapeutic parenting allows carers to respond to that reality not with fear or frustration, but with understanding and guidance.
Over time, children learn that their emotions won’t scare adults away. They learn they can be safe in relationships. They learn they are worthy of love.
That’s the core of therapeutic parenting — not just managing behaviour, but healing the child’s view of the world, and of themselves.
Therapeutic Parenting and Emotion Coaching for Traumatised Children
A vital skill within therapeutic parenting is the ability to coach children through their emotions, rather than attempting to suppress, ignore, or punish them.
Emotion coaching is not a new idea, but when used as part of a trauma-informed, attachment-based care model, it becomes a life-changing tool — especially for children who’ve lived through fear, neglect, or loss.
In the context of therapeutic parenting, emotion coaching is about recognising that all behaviour is communication. When a child lashes out, shuts down, or melts down, they are trying to say something — even if they don’t yet have the words.
Emotion coaching helps children feel understood, supported, and emotionally safe enough to begin naming, exploring, and regulating what they feel.
Why Emotion Coaching Is Essential in Therapeutic Parenting
Most children in residential care or foster settings haven’t had the opportunity to learn how to manage emotions safely. In fact, many have learned the opposite:
- That big emotions push people away.
- That expressing needs is dangerous.
- That being vulnerable leads to rejection or punishment.
This emotional history can make everyday situations — like being told “no,” being asked to share, or making a mistake — overwhelming.
When a child hasn’t learned how to regulate their feelings, even minor stress can trigger panic or aggression. This is where therapeutic parenting plays a transformative role.
By offering emotion coaching, carers can:
- Help the child feel seen and validated.
- Offer safe language for big feelings.
- Teach calming techniques without shaming the child.
- Create long-term emotional resilience and trust.
The Steps of Emotion Coaching in Therapeutic Parenting
Therapeutic parents often follow a five-step framework when emotion coaching:
- Recognise the emotion – Noticing that something has changed in the child’s behaviour or energy.
- Connect before correcting – Focusing first on the child’s emotional state, not on discipline or logic.
- Name the emotion – Helping the child find words for what they’re feeling: “You seem really sad right now.”
- Validate the experience – Showing acceptance of the child’s inner world: “It’s okay to feel that way.”
- Guide supportively – Once calm, helping the child problem-solve or reflect: “Next time, how could we do this differently?”
This gentle, responsive process is one of the hallmarks of effective therapeutic parenting. Rather than escalating a child’s distress, it grounds them in connection.
Therapeutic Parenting Examples: Emotion Coaching in Action
Example 1:
Anger After Contact
Jamal, age 10, returns from a contact visit with his birth family visibly agitated. When asked to join dinner, he yells and throws his plate.
Rather than punishing the outburst, his carer — trained in therapeutic parenting — sits down nearby and gently says, “That visit might’ve brought up some big feelings. I’m here if you want to talk or just sit together.”
Jamal doesn’t speak right away. But he doesn’t run or escalate either. After ten minutes, he begins to cry. His carer helps him label the sadness, fear, and anger that came up. They don’t fix it — they simply stay present.
This moment builds trust. Over time, these moments add up to healing.
Example 2:
The Silent Withdrawer
Lily, 14, often responds to stress with silence and shutdown. After being told she can’t attend a weekend event (due to safety concerns), she isolates herself in her room. Instead of demanding compliance, her keyworker knocks softly and says, “It looked like that news was hard to hear. Would you like a warm drink? I’ll sit nearby, just in case.”
No pressure. No emotional withdrawal. Just quiet, compassionate availability — the cornerstone of therapeutic parenting.
Later, Lily writes in her journal, then hands her carer a note that says: “I was sad and embarrassed. I didn’t want to cry in front of everyone.” It’s a breakthrough — and it happened because her carer used emotion coaching instead of confrontation.
The Long-Term Impact of Emotion Coaching in Therapeutic Parenting
When children receive consistent emotion coaching through therapeutic parenting, they gradually:
- Build a vocabulary of emotions — learning the difference between frustration, sadness, shame, and fear.
- Feel safer expressing vulnerability — because they’ve experienced emotional safety.
- Develop coping tools — such as breathing techniques, self-soothing strategies, or help-seeking.
- Strengthen relationships — by experiencing adults who stay with them through big emotions instead of pushing them away.
And most importantly, they begin to internalise a different story about themselves: I am not broken. My feelings make sense. I am still lovable when I’m struggling.
For many children, this is the first time they’ve truly believed that.
Emotion Coaching and the PACE Connection
Emotion coaching in therapeutic parenting is deeply connected to PACE therapeutic parenting. It uses:
- Empathy to reflect and contain difficult feelings.
- Acceptance to honour the child’s inner world without judgement.
- Curiosity to explore what’s underneath the reaction.
- And when the time is right, Playfulness to reconnect and re-engage.
These aren’t just therapeutic tools. They’re acts of deep care — and they form the relational bedrock of every healing home.
Therapeutic Parenting and Co-Regulation – Calming Chaos with Connection
Among the most critical components of therapeutic parenting is the practice of co-regulation — the emotional bridge between a dysregulated child and the calm, safe presence of a trusted adult.
For children who’ve experienced trauma, neglect, or frequent instability, emotional regulation isn’t something that comes naturally. It must be learned — and the first place it’s learned is through another person’s nervous system.
Co-regulation is what happens when a child borrows the calm of a regulated adult. In the context of therapeutic parenting, it’s a conscious, compassionate act: the adult recognises the child’s dysregulation, stays grounded themselves, and offers connection, rhythm, and emotional presence until the child begins to settle.
Over time, co-regulation teaches the child how to manage emotions without becoming overwhelmed — but it starts externally.
Why Co-Regulation is the Foundation of Self-Regulation
Children in care often struggle with self-soothing. That’s not because they’re unwilling — it’s because they haven’t had repeated, safe experiences of someone else helping them regulate first. Self-regulation isn’t something you can demand. It’s something that develops slowly through relationships.
Therapeutic parenting understands this. Instead of saying “calm down” or punishing outbursts, the adult uses their own voice, body language, and emotional tone to signal safety. This helps the child shift from a state of fight, flight or freeze into one of connection and rest.
Carers using therapeutic parenting:
- Sit at eye level with the child instead of towering over them.
- Breathe slowly and speak softly to influence the child’s nervous system.
- Stay close, even when the child pushes away, demonstrating emotional availability.
The goal is not control — it’s co-regulation.
Co-Regulation in Practice: What Therapeutic Parenting Looks Like
In daily residential care, co-regulation might involve:
- Holding a calm presence during a meltdown rather than sending the child away.
- Sitting quietly in the same room after a difficult event, showing the child they’re not alone.
- Using a calming tone and soft rhythm when a child becomes dysregulated: “I’m here. You’re safe. Breathe with me.”
- Gentle, non-verbal cues — like tapping a rhythm or offering a blanket — to support sensory regulation.
In all of these, the adult leads by example. Their body, breath, and energy say what their words may not: “You don’t have to face this alone.”
Real-Life Therapeutic Parenting Examples of Co-Regulation
Example 1:
The Shutdown
A teenager, Kane, has just been told he can’t return to school after an incident. He retreats to his room, curls up on the bed, and won’t speak. His carer, trained in therapeutic parenting, enters quietly, sits at the door, and says gently, “I can see you’re upset. I’ll be here — we don’t need to talk yet.”
She stays — not demanding, not judging. After 20 minutes of shared silence, Kane softly says, “They always give up on me.” It’s the beginning of a breakthrough.
Example 2:
The Outburst
Tyrese, 11, throws a chair in frustration when asked to leave the sensory room. A traditional response might be isolation or removal. But his carer instead kneels nearby, gives Tyrese space, and begins to breathe rhythmically. He speaks softly: “I see you’re really upset. I’m here. Let’s breathe together when you’re ready.”
Within minutes, Tyrese is sitting, breathing, and leaning against the adult’s shoulder — not because he was forced, but because he was met with regulated care.
These moments, though simple, are at the heart of therapeutic parenting.
The Neurological Impact of Co-Regulation
Scientific research supports what therapeutic parenting has known for years: children learn regulation through co-regulation. Our brains are wired for connection. When a calm adult is present, the child’s limbic system (the part responsible for fight/flight) begins to down-regulate. Repeated experiences of co-regulation:
- Decrease the child’s overall stress reactivity.
- Strengthen pathways for emotional awareness.
- Improve long-term impulse control and behavioural regulation.
- Increase trust in adults and relational security.
That’s the therapeutic part of therapeutic parenting — it changes not only the child’s behaviour, but also their brain.
How Therapeutic Parents Sustain Co-Regulation
Sustaining co-regulation is not easy. It demands emotional energy, training, and support. That’s why effective children’s homes and foster environments must also offer:
- Regular reflective supervision to support carers’ emotional wellbeing.
- Training in trauma-informed care and nervous system regulation.
- Consistent team approaches so children receive unified responses.
- Personal coping strategies for carers (mindfulness, breaks, peer support).
Therapeutic parenting thrives in systems that protect and empower carers — because dysregulated adults cannot regulate dysregulated children. The more resourced the carer, the more resilient the child.
Final Thoughts on Co-Regulation and Therapeutic Parenting
For children recovering from trauma, co-regulation through therapeutic parenting offers what many have never had: an emotionally available adult who stays close, stays calm, and stays present — no matter what.
It is through these quiet, grounded moments that trust begins to grow. It is here, in the rhythm of breath and the steadiness of presence, that healing begins. And it is through repeated experiences of co-regulation that children slowly — and often miraculously — learn to regulate themselves.
This is not just good care. It’s the heart of therapeutic parenting.
Therapeutic Parenting Examples
While understanding the principles of therapeutic parenting is essential, seeing how it looks in everyday life is what truly brings this compassionate approach to life. In this section, we explore therapeutic parenting examples from real-world residential and foster care settings.
These case-style scenarios show how therapeutic techniques — from co-regulation to emotion coaching — are used by trained carers to respond to complex behaviour with empathy, consistency, and attunement.
Each example highlights a different child, a unique challenge, and the way a therapeutic response supports healing, safety, and emotional development.
Example 1: From Destruction to Dialogue – Supporting Rage Through Connection
Background: A young boy, Tyler (age 9), had experienced multiple placement breakdowns before arriving at a Welcare home. He had a history of destroying property during outbursts, often triggered by small frustrations like being asked to turn off the TV.
The Incident: One afternoon, when asked to end his screen time, Tyler shouted, slammed a cupboard door, and ripped a cushion. Staff remained calm, using the principles of therapeutic parenting to guide their response.
Therapeutic Response:
- A carer sat a few feet away, body relaxed, voice calm.
- Instead of scolding, the carer used curiosity: “I wonder if stopping something you enjoy feels really unfair?”
- When Tyler paused, the carer reflected: “It seems like your feelings got really big, really fast.”
- Later, when Tyler was calm, they co-created a calming box for future frustration moments.
The Outcome: Rather than escalating further, Tyler experienced emotional containment. He began to associate big feelings with support — not punishment — and started using the calming box proactively within a month.
This is therapeutic parenting in action: understanding behaviour as communication, and responding with curiosity and co-regulation.
Example 2: Withdrawal and Safety – Making Room for Silence
Background: A teenager, Aaliyah (age 14), displayed a pattern of emotional shutdown after conflict. Raised in a home where feelings were dismissed, she would often isolate in her room, refusing to speak for hours.
The Incident: Following a group disagreement during dinner, Aaliyah stormed off. Traditional responses might involve confrontation or withdrawal of privileges — but not with therapeutic parenting.
Therapeutic Response:
- Her keyworker knocked once and sat outside her door: “You don’t have to talk. I’ll be here in case you want to.”
- No force, no judgement, just presence.
- An hour later, Aaliyah opened the door and asked if they could make tea.
- During the activity, her carer asked with curiosity, “Sometimes group meals feel like a lot — do you think that’s what happened today?”
The Outcome: That evening, Aaliyah shared that eating in front of others made her self-conscious. It led to the introduction of a quieter eating space when needed — a small adjustment that made a huge difference.
This therapeutic parenting example shows how acceptance and empathy support emotional safety, even in silence.
Example 3: Grief and Nighttime Anxiety – Using Therapeutic Rituals
Background: Luca, aged 7, had recently entered care after the loss of his grandmother — his primary caregiver. Since arriving, he struggled to sleep, frequently calling out or leaving his room.
The Incident: During one particularly tearful night, Luca said he felt “lost” and “couldn’t remember what home smelled like.” He was distressed but couldn’t articulate what he needed.
Therapeutic Response:
- A carer responded with empathy and playfulness, saying: “Let’s build a bedtime bubble of safety — like the one your nan used to give you.”
- Together, they created a small “bedtime basket” with calming objects: a soft toy, a lavender pouch, and a family photo.
- Each night, they lit a small LED candle and told a short story — the same ritual, at the same time.
The Outcome: Luca’s sleep gradually improved. The predictability, connection, and sensory regulation restored a sense of control and familiarity. Most importantly, he began to form a secure bond with his carers, rooted in trust.
This example captures the heart of therapeutic parenting: using creativity and consistency to meet a child’s emotional need without pressure.
Why Real-World Therapeutic Parenting Examples Matter
These therapeutic parenting examples demonstrate that healing doesn’t happen through punishment, strict routines, or rewards charts alone. It happens through:
- Emotionally available adults who stay close during hard moments.
- Co-regulation before correction.
- Acceptance of emotional experiences, no matter how messy.
In each story, the carer made a deliberate choice: to listen instead of lecture, to sit instead of shout, to wonder instead of withdraw.
Therapeutic parenting is made up of thousands of such choices — repeated day after day — that slowly teach children that relationships can be safe, emotions can be expressed, and trust can be rebuilt.
Conclusion: How Therapeutic Parenting Builds Brighter Futures
Therapeutic parenting is more than a method — it’s a relationship-based, trauma-informed commitment to helping children feel safe, seen, and supported. Whether through co-regulation, the PACE model, or emotion coaching, therapeutic carers show up consistently, gently, and with deep emotional insight. The goal isn’t perfection. It’s healing — one connection at a time.
From real-world therapeutic parenting examples to powerful tools like PACE, this approach equips carers with everything they need to respond to trauma with compassion. For children in care, that compassion changes lives.
Further Support
Explore Welcare’s Therapeutic Care Services
Learn more about our trauma-informed residential care, emotional support programmes, and healing-centred routines.Refer a Child to Welcare
Start the process of placing a child or young person in a safe, therapeutic home.
Recommended External Resources
- PACE: A trauma-informed approach
NHS guide to using PACE with traumatised children. Therapeutic Parenting Resource Booklet (Adoption East Midlands)
PDF guide with therapeutic strategies and practical parenting advice.Therapeutic Parenting with PACE (DDP Network)
Core explanation of PACE and its role in trauma recovery.
Ready to Take the Next Step?
If you’re supporting a child in need of emotional safety, consistent care, and a nurturing home, Welcare is here to help. Whether you’re a social worker, parent, or professional, we invite you to:
Make a referral
Connect with our therapeutic team
Explore career paths in trauma-informed care
Together, we can build a future where every child feels safe enough to heal — and strong enough to thrive.
Got a question?
Frequently Asked Questions
What is therapeutic parenting?
Therapeutic parenting is a trauma-informed, attachment-focused approach to caring for children who have experienced abuse, neglect, loss, or disrupted attachment. It prioritises emotional safety, empathy, and connection over punishment and control.
Unlike traditional parenting methods, therapeutic parenting recognises that challenging behaviours are often the result of past trauma — and that children need healing relationships, not harsh discipline. Carers using this model focus on:
- Emotional attunement
- Co-regulation
- Predictability
- Unconditional acceptance
The goal is to help the child build trust, regulate their emotions, and develop a positive self-image — all of which are essential for long-term recovery and stability.
What does the PACE model stand for in therapeutic parenting?
PACE is one of the central frameworks used in therapeutic parenting. It stands for:
- Playfulness – Using lightness and humour to build connection.
- Acceptance – Accepting the child’s inner world, even when behaviour is challenging.
- Curiosity – Wondering aloud about what might be going on emotionally, without blame.
- Empathy – Validating the child’s feelings and responding with compassion.
PACE therapeutic parenting helps children feel safe enough to explore and share their emotions. It also helps adults avoid reactive discipline and stay connected, even during difficult moments.
Can therapeutic parenting be used by biological or adoptive parents?
Yes — therapeutic parenting isn’t just for children’s homes or foster carers. Many biological and adoptive parents also use this approach to support children with developmental trauma, attachment disorders, or emotional difficulties.
In fact, many families have found that therapeutic parenting helps rebuild fractured relationships, reduce behavioural conflict, and restore calm in the home. The key is to remain consistent, patient, and open to learning — therapeutic parenting is a long-term, relational commitment.
Is therapeutic parenting effective in children’s homes?
Absolutely. In high-quality residential settings, like those run by Welcare, therapeutic parenting is embedded into every aspect of care — from bedtime routines to behaviour support plans. Staff are trained in emotional regulation, PACE, and trauma-informed practice.
The result?
- More stable placements
- Fewer behavioural crises
- Stronger attachments between children and carers
- Better emotional outcomes for the young people we support
Many children who previously struggled in traditional settings begin to thrive when surrounded by therapeutic care.
How can I learn more or get training in therapeutic parenting?
If you’re a professional, support worker, or parent interested in learning more, Welcare offers:
- In-house training and CPD for team members
- Career development pathways in therapeutic care
- Free online resources and webinars
Visit Welcare Career Progression to explore opportunities, or check our Therapeutic Services for practical support.
