School-Based Filial Therapy

Filial Therapy is an intervention for Primary School-aged children who are experiencing problems with emotions and behaviour. Through playful interactions with a trained play facilitator, children have the opportunity to strengthen relationships, build resilience and strengthen self-regulation skills. 

School-based Filial Therapy is a program that has been specifically designed to alleviate the gap in mental health service provision for children in regional and remote settings.

Therapy takes place in a special play room within the school that is specifically resourced with a range of selected toys which allow the child to express a broad range of emotions and play in different ways. Children who’ve been identified as potentially benefiting from Filial Therapy engage in a minimum of ten sessions at school, during school hours and with a trained member of school staff who is supported with ongoing coaching by Eternity Aid’s SBFT coordinator and within a growing network of local play facilitators.

Eternity Aid’s Training Program

Eternity Aid offers training in school-based Filial Therapy for teachers, school learning support officers (SLSOs) and teacher’s aides in regional and remote areas who have a desire to learn about and implement the intervention in a Primary School setting. 

The program educates paraprofessionals in the therapeutic foundations and skills involved in facilitating ‘special play sessions’ with children who have a mild to moderate emotional and behavioural disturbance.

In acknowledgement of the large distances many participants in rural locations must travel in order to attend training, the program is delivered by a skilled professional over a period of three days.

Training typically covers:

• Day 1 - foundations for understanding challenging behaviour in children
• Day 2 and 3 - Filial Therapy specific training covering theoretical foundations, skill development and the process of implementing the intervention as a program in a Primary School setting.

Alternatively, Day 1 of the training is offered on its own to groups of people interested in deepening their understanding of challenging behaviour presentations in Primary School-aged children.

A new and advanced training module of school-based Filial Therapy will be available in 2020 for people who’ve already completed the three day training and have been implementing the intervention in a school-based setting for at least one year.

Contact us to discuss us providing training in your regional or remote area, training costs and availability of trainers.

Find out more how you can get involved or donate to Eternity Aid’s programs.