The Whales

Trauma

Trauma such as abuse, neglect, loss, bereavement, divorce, suicide, bullying, domestic abuse, chronic illness, serious injury and other traumatic experiences can have devastating and overwhelming effects on the family unit.

We here at The Whale Therapy Project are dedicated to working in a trauma-informed way. Our approach is entrenched in the specialist work of trauma experts and we take a “body up approach” using Dr Bruce Perry’s Neuro Sequential Model of Therapy. What this means is that we use neuroscience to inform how we work with the effects of trauma, taking into account the function of the brain systems and how they have been impacted. What we know is that Trauma is held in the body and therefore we work with both the mind and the body. As Dramatherapists we are trained to work with the body as an essential approach to treating trauma.

Attachment

Attachment is the relationship and emotional bond you have with your parent or main caregiver. This is established within the first years of life and is essential to healthy brain growth and ultimately positive mental health and emotional wellbeing.

Some children due to varying factors do not develop a secure attachment with their caregiver which can lead to difficulties later in life. We provide ‘Attachment Focused Therapy’ guided by the detailed research of Dr Dan Brown, Dan Hughes, Sue Jennings and Peter Fonagy.

*The Whale Therapy Project provides training to schools and organisations around Attachment and Trauma and how to adapt your working approach accordingly. We are dedicated to promoting Trauma and Attachment Informed Environments.

Anxiety and Depression are prevalent in today’s society. Our nervous systems are wired to respond to threat and danger but this can very easily fall out of sync and create unwanted distress.

We aim to support our clients through a combination of psycho-education, cognitive behavioural models and dramatherapeutic approaches. We utilise the body and mind, addressing the underlying cause whilst simultaneously building resilience by focusing on the healthy parts of the individual and adjusting patterns of behaviour. Stephen Porges Polyvagul theory informs much of our work.

*The Whale Therapy Project runs a “Managing Anxiety” programme for parents which provides a practical toolkit on how to manage anxiety in the home.

Grief encompasses death, loss, separation and change. It can feel isolating, overwhelming and lonely. Grief comes in many guises; loss of a loved one, loss of physical or mental ability, loss of fertility, loss of autonomy and independence, societal change, loss of potential, loss of a place; a home, a school or natural disaster, disease or war and so many more.

Dramatherapy provides a way to work at a safe distance with grief whilst empathising with the all-encompassing elements of loss.

Domestic abuse is an ordeal for all the family. Witnessing domestic abuse can leave children feeling unsafe and afraid. Without a safe space to recover, overwhelming experiences of loneliness, anger and fear can develop.

Dramatherapy has clearly defined boundaries and structures which help build trust and familiarity enabling a safe space to explore feelings and express needs. The Whale Therapy Project is able to support survivors of domestic abuse by providing a consistent, trusting, supportive relationship that promotes a sense of safety and self-esteem.

So many factors can affect a person’s self-esteem but it’s important to remember that we all have elements of resilience within us that just need to be fostered.

Here at The Whale Therapy Project we have developed a Resilience Programme that enhances innate coping mechanisms and focuses on developing Dr. Kenneth Ginsburg’s 7 C’s of resilience; competence, confidence, connection, character, contribution, coping and control.

Neuroscience is so important within psychotherapy. It helps us to understand the connection between the body and the mind; the relationship between biology and psychology. New developments in neuroimaging mean that we can now see how the brain responds to emotional experiences. This helps us to learn how to manage certain problems and guarantee that we are well informed and prepared according to pioneering developments within clinical research.

The Whale Therapy Project is committed to being up to date with emerging scientific information to inform our practice and ensure that we deliver an effective service.

Early attachment difficulties and developmental trauma can affect a child’s capacity to form relationships with adoptive parents, siblings and others. Complex trauma can be experienced at a preverbal level, held in the body and then played out through emotionally dysregulated behaviour. Children often do not have the neurological capacity to form words to express their experiences and can cultivate distorted, negative beliefs about themselves and others.

Dramatherapy, with its inherent play and body-based underpinning, provides the opportunity to use metaphor and imaginary worlds, within which characters/situations are used to process experiences. Supported by a neurological understanding of trauma, Dramatherapy can allow a child to rebuild their sense of self.

The Whale Therapy Project aims to support gender-diverse and LGBTQ children, teenagers and young people through what can be a lonely, complicated, confusing and emotional time. Dramatherapy aims to;

• Cultivate positive sense of self-identity
• Provide a safe, private and creative environment
• Enable creative expression
• Improve self-esteem 
• Build resilience 
• Explore the themes of anxiety, transition, uncertainty, confusion and identity.

Homelessness is a worldwide pandemic and effects the young through to the old. It remains a complex issue that is often comorbid with other difficult experiences such as family breakdown, addiction, leaving care, abuse, honour based violence, mental health, trauma, criminal behaviour and more. Homelessness can lead to feelings of loneliness, isolation, shame, fear, despair, abandonment and hopelessness which can negatively impact mental health and emotional wellbeing. The Whale Therapy Project believes that support and intervention in this area is paramount.