OUR SUPPORT
Children's Play & Creative Arts Therapy
Supporting siblings through loss
Explaining the death of a baby to siblings can be extremely daunting and difficult for parents, who are also dealing with their own grief following the loss of their child.
It is very common to feel worried and anxious about how siblings will be affected by the death of their baby brother or sister. Parents will be unsure about what to say and how much to tell, they will want to protect them, especially when the siblings are very young and may well struggle to understand the concept of death.
Why Play Therapy?
Therapy sessions can be provided for children with a range of needs. Using play in therapy helps children to express themselves in their own way especially if they are struggling to understand how they are feeling or are finding it hard to put their experiences into words.
Using play means that the child can explore their thoughts and feelings in creative and dynamic ways, without having to use words to articulate themselves. Play Therapy sessions aim to build a child’s ability to develop healthy and resilient relationships, and to work through traumatic experiences which may be preoccupying them.
Matt Haywood
Therapeutic Play Practitioner
''As a bereaved parent, I am not only able to offer my expertise as a therapist but support those who have also suffered this most unfortunate loss using my experience.
My wife & I lost our baby, Thomas Benjamin, in 2018. We received a memory box from the Lily Mae Foundation whilst at Good Hope hospital. We knew nothing about the charity or baby loss, but the contents of the box & then the charity's support meant we didn't feel alone as we navigated our grief.
We attended a cruise bereavement day provided by the foundation & started to attend support group meetings. Since then we have taken part in fundraising events as a family, including our two older sons, to support the foundation. I am delighted to be able to offer my therapy services to this amazing charity.''
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What does ‘play’ & 'creative arts' do for a child?
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Aids physical, emotional, and social development
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Fosters imagination and creativity
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Encourages confidence and concentration
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Helps children to make friends and learn about their world
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Allows them to learn from mistakes
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Helps in forming relationships
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Often helps when talking does not
Therapy Sessions
Parents are well placed to notice when their child needs extra support for social and emotional reasons.
Therapy sessions are;
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Provided over a 6-week programme with an optional extension available
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Baseline and end of therapy reviews are conducted with the child and parent/caregiver
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6 one-to-one, 30-40-minute therapy sessions with the child
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An end of therapy report is written and provided to the parent/caregiver
PTUK therapists undertake rigorous academic and clinical training before qualifying. To be registered with PTUK, all therapists must: have qualified via a PTUK, university approved, postgraduate course; be clinically supervised by an accredited supervisor; attend regular accredited professional development courses, and have an enhanced DBS check. PTUK practitioners are registered with the Professional Standards Authority, an independent organisation regulating and monitoring health and social care providers.
The total cost of a Therapy Play Session is £50
If you would like to donate or fundraise to enable us to continue to provide the children's therapy play sessions then please get in touch or click the donate button below.
We are really grateful for all the help that we receive to enable us to support bereaved siblings in their time of need, as Siblings Grieve too.