Are you looking for a comprehensive, long-term treatment approach to support your child or adolescent or a looked after young person struggling with trauma, attachment issues, or emotional challenges?

The Secure Pathway Programme offers an innovative, holistic therapy designed to heal attachment wounds, process trauma, and foster a strong emotional connection within children and their sense of self, with siblings and with caregivers. 

The Secure Pathway Programme is a 12-18 month, attachment-focused therapy programme tailored to meet the needs of children and adolescents who have experienced trauma, attachment disruptions, or developmental challenges. Informed by Polyvagal Theory. Polyvagal Theory, developed by Dr. Stephen Porges, explains how the autonomic nervous system regulates our physiological states in response to safety, danger, and life threat. It highlights the role of the vagus nerve in controlling our stress responses, including "fight-or-flight" and "freeze" reactions, and introduces a third state: the "social engagement system." This system is activated when we feel safe, allowing us to connect, communicate, and regulate emotions. The theory is key in understanding trauma and attachment responses and how the body instinctively seeks safety. The approach combines a variety of evidence-based therapies to help children heal and thrive emotionally.

 This programme can be adapted for the complexity of neurodiversity where necessary,

The programme is informed by multiple therapeutic modalities, including:

Transactional Analysis (TA): Helps children understand their relationships and behaviours.

Attachment based EMDR: Processes trauma that impacts secure attachment.
 

        Somatic Experiencing (SE): Addresses how trauma is stored in the body and improves emotional regulation.
 

Narrative Therapy: Encourages children to create coherent life stories, helping them make sense of their experiences.
 

 Internal Family Systems (IFS): Helps children identify and integrate their internal "parts" for emotional healing.
 

PACE (Playfulness, Acceptance, Curiosity and Empathy) Parenting (Daniel Hughes):
Provides caregivers with the tools to create a safe, supportive attachment bond.
 

Play Therapy: Strengthens the caregiver-child bond through play-based, relational activities.
 

We also incorporate Forest Therapy, Sound Therapy and Animal Assisted Sessions where appropriate, when talking and/or play are difficult.

The Secure Pathway Programme is designed for children, adolescents and their caregivers who:

 Struggle with attachment issues or trauma

Have difficulties regulating emotions and behaviour

Are neurodivergent (e.g., ADHD, autism) and need specialised support to develop attachment bonds

Experience challenges in forming and maintaining healthy relationships

Those in foster care 

Those on adoption pathways 

This 12-18 month programme provides:

A Full Psychological Profile at the start, middle, and end of treatment, assessing attachment patterns, emotional regulation, trauma symptoms, and family dynamics (if in a situation of permanency or prior experiences of family dynamics).

Tailored Therapy Sessions: Individual, sibling and caregiver sessions (individually tailored) that build secure attachment, process trauma, and foster resilience.

Caregiver Support:  Caregiver-focused sessions to enhance parenting skills and improve the caregiver-child bond through PACE and Theraplay informed interventions.
 

Trauma Processing: Using EMDR and Somatic Experiencing to address unresolved trauma that may be impacting the child’s development.
 

Neurodiversity Adaptation: The programme is flexible and adapted to meet the specific sensory, emotional, and relational needs of neurodivergent children.

1. Safety and Stabilisation: Establish a secure therapeutic environment and expand  emotional regulation skills.

2. Trauma Processing and Attachment Repair: Address and process trauma memories while strengthening the attachment bond.

3. Integration and Empowerment: Solidify progress, foster a healthy self-concept, and empower the child and family to continue their healing journey.

The Secure Pathway Programme offers a unique, structured approach that combines evidence-based practices with a deep understanding of attachment and trauma. By addressing the root causes of emotional and relational challenges, we aim to create lasting, meaningful change for both the child and their family. We recognise that talking therapy alone does not help everyone so we combine different approaches, including non-verbal and more creative to encourage engagement for those who have not experienced the world as a safe place and find forming relationships tricky.

Whether dealing with attachment disruptions, complex trauma, or the additional complexity of neurodiversity, this programme provides the tools and support needed to foster secure, healthy relationships.

The Secure Pathway Programme offers a unique, structured approach that combines evidence-based practices with a deep understanding of attachment and trauma. By addressing the root causes of emotional and relational challenges, we aim to create lasting, meaningful change for both the child, those close to them and caregivers. We recognise that talking therapy alone does not help everyone so we combine different approaches, including non-verbal and more creative to encourage engagement for those who have not experienced the world as a safe place and find forming relationships tricky.

Whether dealing with attachment disruptions, complex trauma, or the additional complexity of neurodiversity, this programme provides the tools and support needed to foster secure, healthy relationships.

What You Can Expect working with Dr Tracy:

With over 24 years of clinical experience as a Chartered Clinical Psychologist, Expert Witness and Yoga and Meditation Teacher, I bring a diverse and integrative approach to therapy that is especially suited to children and adolescents dealing with trauma and attachment disruption. I have completed multiple advanced trainings in trauma-focused therapies, attachment work, and child development. What sets my practice apart is my holistic incorporation of body-based approaches, talking therapies, animal-assisted therapies, sound therapies and nature-based work, which are particularly important for children who feel extremely unsafe due to trauma.

Children who have experienced significant trauma often struggle to feel safe in traditional therapeutic environments. For those who find the direct confrontation of talking or even play-based therapy too overwhelming, I offer animal-assisted and nature-based therapies. These approaches provide a gentler path to healing, allowing children to engage with the world around them in non-threatening, sensory-rich ways. to rebuild internalised patterns of secure attachment.

By interacting with animals, sound or spending time in nature, children can begin to develop a sense of safety and regulation without the need for verbal communication which can feel too intense. These environments offer comforting, non-judgemental spaces where they can start to build trust and emotional connection at their own pace.

This offers a unique blend of traditional therapies with more creative approaches designed specifically for children who feel extremely unsafe. By providing alternative ways to engage in therapy where necessary, I ensure that even those who find talking or play-based therapy too overwhelming have access to a healing environment that fosters emotional regulation, connection, and trust in a way that feels safe and manageable for them.

Take the First Steps Towards Healing

Contact us today to learn more about how the Secure Pathway Programme can support your child's emotional development, heal attachment wounds, and transform your family dynamic.

Sessions are weekly for one hour 

The programme includes:

£500 initial assessment and report 

£250 interim report 

£350 discharge report 

Session Fees are £150 - the number of sessions are confirmed in the initial assessment session.

This is likely to be a minimum of 30

Email to book free

Introductory Call 

 (10-15 minutes)