What is therapeutic fostering?

The core principle of therapeutic fostering is: if children are provided with the right environment and support, they can heal from past trauma’s and begin to thrive.

Day to day, this difference is reflected in the understanding and empathy that therapeutic foster parents have for the young people they care for. Where some may have seen door slamming and shouting, therapeutic foster parents are trained and supported to look past the behaviour and to empathise with the young person’s experiences that might be causing them to express their feelings through their behaviour.

Looking past the behaviour isn’t always easy. That’s why we offer robust support packages and training to make sure our Foster Parents feel confident and able to deliver therapeutic parenting to the children they care for.

Why is therapeutic fostering needed?

Almost all young people in care would have experienced some form of relational trauma. This is trauma relating to your close relationships and can only be addressed and healed by relational repair which means forming safe, predictable relationships with care givers.

Trauma is the emotional response to bad experiences. Trauma is not the experience itself, but the individual response to it. That’s why what may be traumatic to some, isn’t to others.

Hear how past traumas can affect the way a young person experiences the world in the video below:

Our Therapeutic Model of Treating Trauma

Feeling Safe

The first step in our model is creating a foundation of safety. We prioritise helping children feel safe and secure. This involves understanding each child’s unique needs and adapting their environment to foster security. For us, safety is not just a physical concept; it’s about ensuring children feel safe on a conscious level and in their bodies. We support foster parents in providing a safe and supportive environment for their children.

Connecting

The second phase focuses on building human connections. The therapeutic relationship between foster parents and children is essential for healing. We believe in the power of relational repair, offering nurturing, predictable, and caring relationships. By prioritising a child’s needs, we help them see they are worthy of love, fostering trust and empathy. Our approach involves understanding and responding to unmet needs rather than focusing on behaviours.

Becoming

The third phase is about growth and identity. As a child’s brain calms through a supportive relationship, they start on the path to resilience and recovery. Feeling seen and heard allows them to express and make meaning of their experiences. This phase empowers children to understand and change their behaviours, promoting healing and acceptance within the safety of their relationship with Foster Parents.

How is therapeutic fostering different to standard fostering?

The difference between a therapeutic foster parent and a standard foster parent is typically their level of training and application of therapeutic practice. Being therapeutic in approach comes natural to many foster parents, but specialist training helps foster parents understand and utilise techniques so that they are able to consistently provide therapeutic care and support, no matter how stressful a situation may be.

Interested in more differences?

Who can become a therapeutic foster parent?

There’s no one size fits all approach to becoming a great foster parent. We have a community of foster parents from different backgrounds and beliefs which gives them completely different life experiences. This diverse range of life experiences gives each foster parent a unique perspective and ability to help young people thrive.

Click below to find out more about some of our foster parents.

Liz & Ed’s Fostering Journey2025-01-31T14:40:57+00:00
Kevin & Nicola’s fostering story2025-01-31T10:49:59+00:00
Mark & Jenny’s fostering story2024-08-29T12:37:10+00:00
Foster Parent Stories: Tracey’s Respite Experience2024-08-29T11:07:51+00:00
Foster Parent Stories: Paul and Elliot2024-08-29T10:26:40+00:00
Paul and Elliot - LGBTQ foster parents with Flourish Fostering
Foster Parent Stories: Emily2024-08-29T10:27:05+00:00
Emily and Ben
Why is he getting an ice cream when he is behaving like that? An Exploration of Applied Therapeutic Practice in Fostering.2023-09-07T15:47:14+00:00
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Yasmine and James’ Foster Parent Story2024-08-29T10:28:00+00:00
Pearl – Life is never dull, Fostering Story2024-08-29T10:28:31+00:00
Foster Parent Stories: Leah and Adam’s Story2024-08-29T10:28:49+00:00

We take in to account your unique life experiences and background when matching you with a young person. This helps us keep family stability and foster parent satisfaction so high.

Ultimately, what we’re looking for is people who share our passion about creating better outcomes for young people who have experienced trauma. Everything else can be achieved through training and development.

If this sounds like you, we’d love to hear from you.

Interested in learning more about therapeutic fostering?

Get in touch using the form below.

    What makes Flourish different?

    Flourish families benefit from 21 days paid respite, a range of additional allowances, thought provoking training programmes and qualifications, as well as having the support of a dedicated team of employed therapists lead by our Clinical Director.

    • Holiday allowance for each foster child

    • Summer holiday allowance

    • Clothing allowance for each foster child

    • School uniform allowance for each foster child

    • Festival allowance for each foster child

    • Birthday allowance

    We operate an open door policy across our service and ensure our Flourish offices are a truly enjoyable and welcoming place to visit, learn, meet and socialise.

    Thinking of starting your career in fostering?

    Those who are new to fostering are attracted to Flourish because we treat our families as professionals. From day one we provide our families with innovative and engaging training programmes, degree level qualifications and a clear path for promotion and career development.

    Do you want to work for a small, innovative, forward thinking therapeutic fostering organisation?

    • Sector leading pay, benefits and career progression opportunities

    • Exceptional training will be provided that can lead to degree level qualifications

    • 24/7 support from a team of experienced social workers

    • Dedicated team of employed therapists led by our Clinical Director

    • A company with a warm, welcoming family feel

    If you want to progress your career in therapeutic fostering then we would love to hear from you.

    Meet our founders

    Dr Mica Douglas

    Clinical Director

    A social worker and a highly regarded Psychotherapist who has worked in therapeutic fostering for over 20 years, Mica trains, supervises and supports our Foster Parents to manage the complexities of caring for children and young people who have suffered relational trauma. In 2020 Mica completed a doctorate in exploring therapeutic training and how this can elevate the skills of Foster Parents in achieving often remarkable results in fostering.

    Mica’s findings from that research study plays a key role in informing the therapeutic work at Flourish Fostering. Her vast experience as a Social Worker, Manager and a UKCP Registered Psychotherapist (for adults as well as for children and adolescents), gives Mica a unique combination of skills to lead Flourish.

    “The fact that I have worked as a Social Worker and as a Psychotherapist for many years has given me a unique view of fostering, and my passion is in developing interesting training courses that genuinely leave people eager for the next instalment.”

    Nicola Tunbridge

    Director

    Nicola has worked in the independent fostering sector for over 25 years, most notably as an innovative and successful Managing Director. Having been both a Foster Parent and an entrepreneur, Nicola is passionate about the creation of a cutting edge and ‘stand out from the crowd’ fostering provision that truly makes a difference to Foster Parents and to children’s lives. A dedicated Therapeutic Practitioner, she trained at Family Futures Consortium and designed the highly praised ‘The Future is Orange’ course on childhood attachment.

    “The support that the Flourish Fostering team provide means that our Foster Parents can get on with their job of looking after children and young people in their care, knowing that they are equally-valued members of the team; I’m here as a ‘hands-on’ Director, committed to ensuring that we provide our Foster Parents with a first-class experience.”

    Thinking of transferring?

    Many of our fostering families choose to move to Flourish because they have become disillusioned by large, corporate fostering organisations who have stripped away training and support in the interest of profits.

    Take your first step to becoming a Foster Parent with Flourish today

    If you’re interested in becoming a Foster Parent and would like to learn more, then we’d love to hear from you. Simply fill in the form below and one of our friendly team will be in touch.