Empathy
The capacity and willingness to be and stay with another person in whatever their emotional state. Empathy is standing in the other person’s shoes, recognizing and responding to their emotional…
Insecure attachment
A research classification within Attachment Theory. These patterns of attachment behavior reflect varying degrees of a lack of safety in the attachment and may manifest as avoidant, ambivalent, or disorganised.…
Interpersonal neurobiology
The study of how brain structures are developed through relationships.
Neurobiology
The study of the biological structure and function of the brain and nervous system.
Neurobiology of trauma
The study of how a person’s early experiences of trauma, for example abuse and neglect, can impact on the biological structure and function of her brain and nervous system.
PACE
An attitude or stance of Playfulness, Acceptance, Curiosity and Empathy; qualities that are helpful when creating emotional safety and when trying to stay open and engaged with another person. This,…
Parent
The word ‘parent’ includes anyone in a parenting role whether in adoptive, foster, kinship, or residential homes.
Playfulness
A state of active enjoyment when with another person that expresses a sense of lightness and hope that all problems can be sorted out together; that nothing is too big.
Primary Intersubjectivity
The process through which an infant and parent discover each other in a reciprocal relationship and in this process discover more about themselves. The child develops a sense of self,…
Reciprocal
Shared, joint, mutual interaction, with each person taking a turn.
Reflective function
The capacity or ability of a person to think about her experience and the experience of others. With reflective function or reflective capacity a person can make sense of why…
Regulate
To monitor, adjust and maintain within comfortable limits, your own feelings, emotional arousal, body functions and behavioural responses.
Secondary intersubjectivity
The process through which the child learns about the world of people, events and objects. The child and parent together focus their attention outwards. This shared attention helps them both…
Secure attachment
When children receive comfort and support from a primary caregiver and develop the safety necessary to explore the world, they develop a balance between dependence and independence and develop the…
Storytelling
A storytelling voice has the tone, animation, rhythms, up-and-down qualities, pauses and shifts in intensity that supports a person stay interested and engaged in the content of the communication.
Trigger
Seeing, smelling or hearing something (often a smaller experience or stimulus than the original) that sets off another feeling, thought or sensation that is connected in some way to some…
Creating connections for developing relationships