What is a Parent-Infant Relationship Team?
The Nurture Families parent-infant relationship team promotes the importance of the first relationship with the baby and parent. They work directly with parents and babies in the earliest days providing therapeutic support to strengthen these relationships.
Our multi-disciplinary team includes parent-infant therapists with focused expertise across early childhood, midwifery and health visiting. Led by Clinical Psychologists, our parent-infant relationship team offer talking therapy and one-to-one parent-infant sessions, including attachment-led infant massage classes.
"Young children experience their world as an environment of relationships, and these relationships affect virtually all aspects of their development .”
-National Scientific Council on the Developing Child (USA)
How We Can Help
Having a baby is often a source of great happiness, but, for a variety of reasons, it can also sometimes be unexpectedly difficult. You may be asking:
- why does my baby cry all the time?
- why won't my baby sleep?
- have I got post-natal depression (PND)?
- is my baby happy?
- why is being a new parent more difficult than I thought?
- when does becoming a parent get easier?
- why do I feel so sad and stressed?
If any of these strike a chord with you, or you have questions of your own, we're here to help you find answers. Through our unique parent infant services we can empower you to feel strong and secure in yourself and as a parent.
- Parent-infant talking therapy is a confidential, safe space for you and your baby. Your therapist will work with you in a gentle and sensitive way, guiding you through any difficult feelings and emotions you may be experiencing. Our work is always accepting of you and your individual circumstances.
Over 12 or more weekly one-to-one sessions, our experienced parent-infant relationship therapists and a clinical lead will work individually with you and your baby. Your partner is welcome to come along too.
Working together, we can make a difference that will last a lifetime for your baby and you.
How do I get help?
It's easy to get help. You don't need a referral from a health professional - just contact us directly.
1. Complete the simple contact form here.
2. We'll contact you via phone or email to arrange an informal chat.
3. The chat will take about 20 minutes, during which time we'll invite you to tell us more about what's going on for you at the moment. You'll also find out more about how we can help.
4. After this, if you feel we are a good fit for your needs - and we feel we can help you – we'll match you with someone from our team.
5. If we feel that parent infant therapy will help you, we'll email you a Request for Nurture Families PI Services form, Remote Counselling Working Agreement and Safeguarding Information Sheet.
Any information we receive will remain strictly confidential, and we'll never pass it on.
6. When we receive your completed forms we'll book in your first session with the relevant person, who will contact you directly.
Cost
The cost is usually £55 per one-hour session.
We do have a small number of funded places available, so please do contact us to enquire.
Unfortunately we cannot give refunds for sessions missed.
Our classes are completely baby-led, showing you the value of asking permission, as well as the need to understand your baby’s unique cues and behavioural states. We gently guide you in observing and listening to your baby’s verbal and non-verbal communications so that you can respond respectively and effectively.
Cost
Our infant massage classes cost £30 for a five-week course (max 5 parents with babies per group). Payments need to be made in full a week before the classes begin.
We do have a small number of funded places available, so please do contact us to enquire.
Unfortunately we cannot give refunds for classes missed, but will do our best to accommodate you in another class.
Our parent-infant groups are run over five-week courses that empower parents and babies to grow in partnership. This partnership forms the foundation for all future relationships and shapes the health and vitality of our communities.
Nurture Families offers a calm, peaceful and respectful environment to grow parents’ understanding of child development and to nurture their relationship with their child.
Facilitated by our Early Childhood parent-infant therapist, the format of the group enables:
Freedom to explore
Freedom to move
Open-ended play
Sensitive observation
Topics for adult discussion often include:
- What to expect at each age/stages of development
- What children learn through play
- Balancing your own needs with your child’s
- Establishing clear and consistent limits
- How to make the most of the time you spend with your child
Cost
Our attachment-led parent-child classes cost £30 for a five-week course (max 8 parents with babies per group). Payments need to be made in full a week before the classes begin.
We do have a small number of funded places available, so please do contact us to enquire.
Unfortunately we cannot give refunds for classes missed, but will do our best to accommodate you in another class.
Our Expertise
Our parent-infant relationship team is at the heart of Nurture Families’ work. Launched in partnership with the Koala Tree, we recognise that supporting families in the child’s earliest years is vital. Together with the support of the Parent Infant Foundation, we have established our team in the community, working on-the-ground with families directly.
Our parent-infant relationship team is considered an essential part of family wellbeing and strong outcomes. As such, Nurture Families provides best practices and support to early childhood professionals working with children and families across Herefordshire and Worcestershire.
Our Impact
100% of Mums reported an increase in their wellbeing, their baby's wellbeing.
Those who felt anxious when leaving the house reduced by 50%
85% of Mums reported that they were more likely to engage with other supports.