Author Archives: colbypearce

About colbypearce

I am a practising Clinical Psychologist with twenty-seven years’ experience working with children and young people recovering from abuse and neglect. I am also an author and educator in trauma-informed, therapeutic caregiving. My programs are implemented in Australia and Ireland, and I am well-known for my practical and accessible guidance for caregivers and professionals alike.

Aboriginal Kinship Care

Posted on December 15, 2020 by colbypearce

In the language of the original inhabitants of the Adelaide region, Martinthi means ‘to embrace/to clasp/to hold’ and reflects the importance of connection and community amongst Aboriginal peoples. Continue reading →

Five strategies for addressing issues with compliance in children

Posted on December 11, 2020 by colbypearce

Noncompliance and defiance are common parenting challenges. This article offers five gentle strategies that address the reason for the behaviour, as well as the behaviour. Continue reading →

Posted in AAA Caregiving, Fostering, kinship care, Parenting, trauma informed | Tagged behave, behaviour challenges, challending behaviour, childcare, childwelfare, fostercare, fostercarer, fostering, grandparent, kinshipcare, kinshipcarer, noncompliance, parent, parenting, psychology | Leave a comment

Theory of Accessibility to Needs Provision

Posted on September 11, 2020 by colbypearce

Below is a statement that reflects the third ‘A’ in the Triple-A Model – Accessibility (to needs provision). It captures my thoughts and my response when I am talking to caregivers about their experience of the behaviour of a child … Continue reading →

Posted in AAA Caregiving, Adoption, Attachment, Fostering, kinship care, Parenting, trauma informed care, Trauma Informed Schools | Tagged attachment, Child Protection, child protection week, child welfare, child welfare leadership, childcare, children, Education, educators, fostercare, grandparents, kinshipcare, parenting, psychology, relativecare, schools, socialcare, teachers, trauma informed, trauma informed classroom, trauma informed practice, traumainformedcare | Leave a comment

Child Psychotherapy: An update about my approach

Posted on July 24, 2020 by colbypearce

I am frequently asked about my approach to psychotherapy with children and young people. In this blog I reproduce an explanation for parents and caregivers that appears on the Secure Start website. Psychology is a broad term that covers the … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged attachment, attachment theory, child psychologist, Child Psychotherapy, Clinical Psychologist, counselling, psychotherapist, psychotherapy, social welfare, social;worker, socialwork, sounsellor, therapist, Therapy, trauma informed, trauma informed practice, trauma informed therapy | 1 Comment

An allegory about attachment theory

Posted on July 19, 2020 by colbypearce

‪A Tale of Three Mice: An Attachment Story continues to attract attention among other writers looking for a short allegory introducing Attachment Theory. This week from a publisher of a book about child development. I updated the story in the … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged adoption, attachment, Attachment Disorder, childwelfare, COVID19, foster care, foster care support, fostercare, fostering, kinship care, kinshipcarer, parenting, psychology, Social Care, Social Work, trauma informed, traumainformed | Leave a comment

A time of reflection and redirection

Posted on June 19, 2020 by colbypearce

It has been more than a month since my last post. This has been a period of significant reflection about career direction and what is both professionally and personally important to me. This period of reflection has been prompted by … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged attachment, clinical psychology, psychology, psychotherapy, relational connection, therapeutic care, therapist, trauma-informed | Leave a comment

Connected Classrooms that CARE: Supporting children recovering from a tough start to life in an era of COVID-19

Posted on May 7, 2020 by colbypearce

In this, my third major release during this COVID-19 period, I have turned my mind to the support of children and young people who are recovering from a tough start to life at school. Written for teachers and other education … Continue reading →

Posted in AAA Caregiving, Schools, Trauma Informed Schools | Tagged attachment, child welfare, children, classroom, Education, educational psychologist, educator, educators, psychologist, psychology, school, school psychologist, schools, Social Work, social worker, teacher, teachers, trauma informed, trauma informed classroom, trauma informed school, trauma recovery, trauma responsive, wellbeing | Leave a comment

Our own response to the pandemic reflects the experience of maltreated children

Posted on May 4, 2020 by colbypearce

Uncertainty, including in relation to our health and the health of our loved ones, our access to basic needs, and what the future holds, is anxiety-evoking. It can leave us preoccupied with accessing basic needs and lead us to behave in ways that increase our chances of being able to achieve needs provision, and feel safe. Uncertainty, coupled with the media coverage of the pandemic, can leave us experiencing ourselves as inadequate, others as threatening and dangerous, and the world as unsafe. The current uncertainty, and its psychological impacts on us, provides an insight into what life is like for children and young people who are recovering from a tough start to life.
Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged attachment, child welfare, child welfare leadership, children, Coronavirus, COVID19, mental health, pandemic, psychology, social worker, socialwork, socialworker, trauma, trauma informed, trauma informed care, trauma informed practice, traumainformed, traumainformedcare, traumainformedpractice | Leave a comment

Preserving Placements during a Pandemic – Video Series with Handbook

Posted on April 18, 2020 by colbypearce

I am very pleased to make this series of short videos available to foster and kinship carers, to assist them manage the impact of the current pandemic on the children and young people in their care, and themselves. I am … Continue reading →

Posted in AAA Caregiving, Fostering, kinship care, trauma informed, trauma informed care | Tagged child welfare, childcare, childwelfareleadership, Coronavirus, COVID19, foster care, fostercare, fostercarer, fostering, grandparents, kinship care, kinshipcare, kinshipcarematters, kinshipcarer, pandemic, relativecare, relativefostercare, socialcare, therapeutic care, trauma, traumainformed, traumainformedcare, traumarecovery, traumasensitive | Leave a comment

Parenting in Tough Times

Posted on April 10, 2020 by colbypearce

In these tough times, it is important to reflect on these truths. Continue reading →

Posted in AAA Caregiving, Attachment, Fostering, kinship care, Parenting, trauma informed | Tagged AAA caregiving, adopter, adoption, attachment, child welfare, childwelfare, Coronavirus, COVID19, fostercarer, fostering, grandparents, kinship care, kinship carer, kinshipcare, kinshipcarer, parenting, post adoption support, Social Care, socialwork, therapeutic parenting, trauma informed, trauma recovery, trauma responsive, traumainformed, traumainformedcare | Leave a comment

Disclaimer: While great care is taken to ensure that the advice on this site is widely applicable and based on sound psychological science, it may not suit the individual circumstances of all visitors. If you have any concerns about applicability to your circumstances, please consult a qualified professional near to you.
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