Professional Training in Child & Youth Mental Health
We equip therapists, educators, and parents with evidence-based, neurodiversity-affirming skills to foster connection, resilience, and meaningful growth in children.
Dr. Sue Jennings, the pioneer of the Neuro-Dramatic Play (NDP) paradigm, explains how messy play, rhythmic play, and dramatic play are essential interventions for child development. Our courses teach these transformative techniques.
Dramatherapist Aanand Chabukswar explains how storytelling in Neuro-Dramatic Play is a powerful, brain-based method to connect with children and help them process life experiences in a meaningful way.
Our Neuro-Dramatic Play courses are designed for parents, educators, and mental health professionals who want to enhance their scope of care. Register to learn how drama and storytelling can unlock a child's world of trust and resilience.
We offer both Certificate and Diploma courses in Neuro-Dramatic Play. These programs provide practical insights and advanced techniques for professionals looking to deepen their repertoire of play-based and attachment-informed interventions.
We offer a Diploma in Narrative Therapy & Community Work in collaboration with the Dulwich Centre Foundation, Australia. This graphic explains that Narrative Practice is a respectful, collaborative way of working that incorporates culturally resonant practices.
What is Narrative Therapy? This infographic outlines the core principles of this respectful, non-blaming approach, which centers people as the experts in their own lives and separates problems from people.
Narrative Therapy is committed to not letting people be defined by their problem story. It honors people's experiences, builds communities of care, and recognizes individuals as experts in their own lives.
This graphic details some of the main themes covered in our Narrative Therapy diploma course, including the core ethics and philosophy, the principle of deconstruction, and inviting agency to reclaim preferred identities.
Our Narrative Therapy training covers advanced techniques like "Double Listening" to stories of both pain and agency, and "Reauthoring Conversations" to co-create stories of hope and courage.
Further themes in our Narrative Therapy course include "Re-membering" to understand relational identities, playful approaches to trauma, and practical skills like community work and therapeutic letter writing.
About Professional Training & Development
Our training programs focus on 'the doing.' Whether you are looking to master Narrative Therapy's 're-authoring conversations' or learning Neuro-Dramatic Play techniques, you gain hands-on tools to move beyond diagnosis and support a child's unique agency and potential in a real-world setting.
We believe that better mental health outcomes begin with empowering the people around a child. Our training department is dedicated to building a wider community of care by sharing rigorous, evidence-based methodologies with therapists, educators, and parents.
Our Core Training Methodologies
Narrative Therapy & Community Work In collaboration with the Dulwich Centre Foundation, Australia, our diploma programs offer a deep dive into Narrative Practice. This is a respectful, non-pathologizing approach that views problems as separate from people. We train professionals to move away from deficit-based models, instead focusing on 'Double Listening'—hearing both the pain and the agency in a person's story. Participants learn to facilitate conversations that help individuals reclaim their preferred identities and find courage amidst adversity.
Neuro-Dramatic Play (NDP) Developed by Dr. Sue Jennings, NDP is a brain-based intervention that harnesses the power of play, rhythm, and drama. Our workshops and certification courses teach how messy play, rhythmic movement, and dramatic storytelling can serve as powerful tools for therapeutic engagement. This training is designed for professionals who want to enhance their repertoire with somatic and sensory-friendly interventions that allow children to express themselves safely and build resilience.
Who Should Join?
Our courses are structured for those who are committed to ethical, culturally-aligned mental health practices. Whether you are a psychologist looking to expand your practice, a teacher navigating the classroom, or a parent seeking deeper connection, our training modules provide actionable strategies to create inclusive spaces where every child feels seen.
Children First
We are Children First, a team of over 60 professionals committed to more than just therapy; we are building a community of care. By sharing our expertise through training and workshops, we hope to empower more people to create safe, inclusive spaces where every child feels seen and supported.
Looking for a different service or program?
Explore our other mental health initiatives and specialized care programs.
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