Your questions answered

What is TESSA?

TESSA stands for Therapeutic Education and Support Services in Adoption. It is a five-year project aimed at supporting adoptive families across Northern Ireland who have children between the ages of two and 12 years. It is a joint project run by Adoption Routes and Adoption UK in Northern Ireland. The project is coordinated by Sheila Lavery, an adoptive parent and trainer whom some of you may already know from Adoption UK training courses.

What does it offer?

TESSA offers support to parents, children and any schools who have adopted children (aged 12 or under) on their register.

What is the TESSA therapeutic model?

TESSA aims to support families, not “fix” children. We are keen to explore various approaches to trauma recovery and we anticipate that the bank of therapeutic services will grow with the project. We are beginning with a listening/support service for parents with possible options of doing mindfulness training and learning about therapeutic parenting. There may be additional options for other interventions such as yoga and reflexology but that would be something to consider further along the line. We offer training to schools in attachment and developmental trauma and, if required, strategies and services to support children with specific issues. In terms of therapeutic provision for children and families we are looking at sensory regulation training, various play therapies including Theraplay and filial therapy, creative and arts therapies, equine or other pet therapies and possibly touch therapies. We are open to considering a range of approaches, obviously with an eye to safe practice. So, if any of you have experience of approaches that benefitted yourselves or your children please get in touch and let us know about them.

Why this model?

We see this social model of support as an example of a holistic wraparound service that adoptive families have wanted for years but for which there is no statutory provision. It is a model built on the belief that experiencing loss, abuse, and neglect in early life can be overwhelmingly difficult for a young child’s brain and nervous system to process. Consequently, they may express those experiences unconsciously through “difficult” behaviours and “difficulties” in relationships. This is a completely normal adaptation to trauma. It is not an illness, but it is a challenge for parents, teachers and a child who functions from a survival state. It can help to think of it in terms of, “the body keeps the score” because even children too young or too scared to talk about their history will hold those memories in their body. What safeguards are in place to protect children and families?

Confidentiality and child protection are top of our priorities. All therapists will be ACCESS NI checked, carry public liability insurance, belong to a professional regulatory body and will be required to abide by a TESSA code of conduct. Additionally, we will assess the needs of families on an individual basis and where necessary conduct a clinical assessment before beginning any therapeutic work. All training will be delivered by trainers who are also adoptive parents so we have a knowledge of adoption from the inside out.

How is the project funded?

TESSA is funded by the Big Lottery as part of their Reaching out, Supporting Families initiative. This means that, for the duration of the project, adoptive families can access the service free of charge. We do not ask for any financial contribution from you but we do ask that you invest personally in the project and make a commitment to seeing it through. We know that there are no quick fixes for the challenges that adoption can present to families and that is why TESSA has such a cohesive therapeutic model.

When will it be up and running?

At the moment it is up and crawling. We are already delivering the in-schools service. If your child’s school doesn’t know about us, tell them about the project, or direct them to our contact details below. We are also establishing a database of trained counsellors with adoption expertise. We are attending to parents’ needs first because they form the foundation of a secure family structure. Likewise, schools are hugely influential in a child’s wellbeing. Only, when this scaffolding is in place will we start to look at the individual therapeutic needs of children age two to 12 years.

How do we access services?

This part of the project has yet to be fine-tuned. We currently envisage that most people will self refer via the contact details below, and through Adoption UK and Adoption Routes. If you are currently receiving services from your post-adoption support team we would want you to discuss your intention to use TESSA with them as we wouldn’t want to conflict with other service providers. We will also be in contact with post-adoption services when required. Be assured, however, we are a confidential service. Look forward to hearing from you. Any more questions just get in touch! Contact TESSA Tel: 028 9046 9211 Text: 07484054774 Email: [email protected] or [email protected] Web: www.tessani.org