My name is Kirstie Woolley, and I am a Therapeutic Social Worker who has worked the frontline system, where the system hasn't worked for many families. This has meant families coming back into the system time and time again. Early intervention and a holistic approach are a must to enable support- but this needs to be unique to the family and not on a time scale. Individuals need to feel connected with a professional, not judged and know that person wants to support and enable changes for them.
Due to my personal experience of trauma and growing up with a Father who had adverse childhood experiences from being a Child in Care. I want to enable further unique support focusing on 'attachment and trauma' to encourage CHANGE- ensuring support as long as the child or family needs. I have first-hand experience of not feeling supported but also seeing my Father struggle mentally and physically in his adult life.
My Father explored with me in a recording, a brief overview of his experiences but something really still hits me with his experience ' I was put in to care because of my behaviour'. The blame still happens today, and people find it difficult to understand 'behaviour' is a reaction from our body when we may not be addressing the route cause.
This has given me great passion and determination to focus on attachment and trauma - but also advocating for individuals to ensure all agencies are 'working together' in the best interests of the child and family.
This will offer a package to what the child may need including:
- An Art Therapist, helping individuals explore their trauma in a creative approach.
- Animal Assisted Therapy
- Therapeutic Social Worker
So, this project is for all the children and families affected by TRAUMA like my Father, knowing if the root causes are not found or addressed- no change can be made, and children will grow up into adulthood with triggers and reactive responses from the body because those are responses to keep us 'safe'.
Thank you for reading, but this is really important to me and my own family.
