Therapeutic services for birth parents of children in care

Treehouse Practice has a limited therapeutic service for parents of children who are in the care system. These parents will also have a trauma history and the focus of the interventions is on integrating and supporting healing from trauma experiences. Although adults will be referred from Tusla and funded by this organisation to engage the following parameters are outlined for the referral agent so that the terms are clear from the outset. Please note: this service is separate from the therapeutic service designed to support relationships for parents and children during family visits (“access”) in which both adult and child/ren are the clients.

Referral process:

Referrals are only accepted for parents of children who are already known to Treehouse Practice. This is so that there has already been an assessment of suitability/ readiness to engage with therapeutic services. Parents and children may be referred together but parents (without their child) cannot. This is to ensure that there is an integrated and multi-disciplinary approach to therapeutic care planning, in keeping with the ethos of Treehouse Practice.

Safety and confidentiality:

It is important that adults feel safe and comfortable to engage freely in therapeutic supports, for their own benefit. Thus, the content of sessions will not be shared with the referral agent/ 3^rd parties, unless the client themselves requests this. The exception to this is in the case of suspected harm to a child/ vulnerable adult, in which case the reporting to Tusla is automatic.

Report writing:

A one-page summary of engagement, including sessions attended and any themes the client might wish to share will be produced after every 10-15 sessions. This report is co-produced with the client.

Provision of evidence in court:

Clinicians working therapeutically with parents strictly do not provide evidence in court. This is non-negotiable and is important to ensure that the psychological safety of the client is paramount. Other clinicians involved with the family for assessment purposes might do so but the clinician working directly with the parent will not do so.

“..we provide therapeutic supports that are designed with the family’s strengths and needs in mind”

To make an enquiry, please email info@treehousepractice.ie.