Family Support

One to One Counselling

When families are in crisis counselling provides a professional, confidential service where individuals can feel free to express and explore feelings and generate ideas. Counselling can provide a much needed quiet and safe space, removed from possible outside conflict. It enables the client to have their voice heard, to be given an opportunity to explore feelings and to identify coping mechanisms and solutions.

We offer a discounted rate for counselling sessions.

How to access

Lisa 086 0580019                lisa.foley@mainevalley.ie

Play Therapy

Play therapy helps children explore their feelings and experiences through a medium that can be more appropriate to children than simply talking. It provides a safe, confidential environment (within the Children First guidelines) in which children can explore their feelings and behaviours through creative play helping them to create and develop better coping mechanisms within their families and the wider community. It provides a space where the voice of the child can be expressed and heard and be responded to appropriately by a professionally trained play therapist.

Rainbows Programme

Rainbows is a nationally recognised programme that supports children over 7 years old in their local communities to avail of a 10-week evidence-based programme offering understanding and support to come to terms with their loss and grief. This can be due to either a bereavement of close family member or separation of parents. Complete the form here

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Family Support

At Maine Valley the family support worker is available to meet with families or individuals may need help and support. Parents can seek one-to -one free and confidential family support on any parenting challenge they are facing right now. All parents and those in parenting roles (grandparents, foster parents, carers and guardians) are welcome and offered a safe place to talk about parenting challenges, we can explore ways to address these together. Parent support is here to help you when you need it.

The focus of these services is on early intervention aiming to promote and protect the health, well-being and rights of all children, young people and their families. Life is not always easy and life events such as birth, death, separation, loneliness and illness can add to our anxiety and stress which has an impact on us, our family life and relationships.

How to access?

Give the Family Support Worker a call and we will arrange a meeting at a time that suits. It will be informal, supportive and confidential. Having someone to talk to about your worries is a great first step and together we can find what works best for your needs.

Breda O’Donoghue         087-6953023                    Breda.odonoghue@mainevalley.ie

Meitheals

In a Meitheal, a lead practitioner will identify a child’s and their family’s needs and strengths and then bring together a ‘team around the child’.  The team will deliver support that is properly planned and is focused on the child’s developmental needs.  The child and their family are fully involved and participating in this process at all stages.

ParentsPlus

An evidence-based parenting course promoting confidence, learning and positive behaviour in children aged 6 to 11 years. Targeting the needs of primary school children, the Parents Plus Children’s Programme shows parents how to communicate positively with children, illustrating ways to encourage good social skills, as well as well-researched methods to tackle behaviour and emotional problems. The aim of the course is to help parents not only solve discipline and other childhood problems, but also for parents to develop closer and more satisfying relationships with their children.

The Incredible Years® 

The Incredible Years® evidence-based parenting programs focus on strengthening parenting competencies and fostering parent involvement in children’s school experiences, to promote children’s academic, social and emotional skills and reduce conduct problems. The parenting programs are grouped according to age: babies (0-12 months), toddlers (1-3 years), pre-schoolers (3-6 years), and school age (6-12 years).

Strengthening Families

The Strengthening Families Programme (SFP) is an evidence-based 14-week family skills training programme that involves the parents and teens/children in three classes run on the same night once a week. Families enjoy a meal on arrival, then parents and teens /children engage in separate skills-based sessions for 1 hour. This is followed by a family skills session in the second hour, where skills are practiced with parents and teens/children.

What's On

Castlemaine Craft Fair

Social Dancing

Join us for the Breast Feeding Support Group every Monday from 10-12 in Maine Valley FRC with public health nurse.  Excluding bank holidays.  All welcome. 

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