Therapeutic early intervention service for children and families.
Nurture Family Services is a Christchurch based child therapy clinic. We have over 20 years of combined experience working with children and families, specialising in therapeutic interventions.
What we specialise in:
We provide therapy for children (0-8 years) and their families.
- Emotional Problems/Dysregulation
- Anxiety
- Grief
- Trauma
- Parenting Support and Education
- Family and Parent/Child Relationships
- Daily Functioning (Eating and Sleeping Difficulties)
- Post-Natal Adjustment Support
- Difficult Birth Experiences or Birth Trauma
Individual Therapies
Below are some of the therapies we offer at Nurture Family Services. We may recommend one or more of these depending on the needs of your child and family.
Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy (DDP)
DDP is an intervention that focuses on helping parents/caregivers and children make deeper emotional connections with each other. This helps to build stronger relationships and target difficult situations. We achieve this by initially working with parents on understanding brain development and attachment, before coaching parents in parenting with PACE (Playfulness Acceptance, Curiosity and Empathy).
For more information see https://ddpnetwork.org/parents-carers/ddp-right-for-your-family/
Watch Wait and Wonder
Watch, Wait and Wonder is an evidence-based, child led therapy that uses the infant’s natural activity during free play to enhance a parent/caregiver’s responsiveness, which can strengthen regulation ability and the child-parent relationship. The approach provides space for the infant/child and parent to work through developmental and relational struggles through play. Watch Wait and Wonder can help parents learn to be reflective about the child’s inner world of feelings, thoughts and desires.
For more information see: http://www.watchwaitwonderdownunder.com/parents-and-referrers/parents-and-referrers/
Theraplay
Theraplay is an intervention that focuses on improving interactions between parents/caregivers and their children. Aims of Theraplay include building and enhancing attachment, self-esteem, trust in others, and joyful engagement. Theraplay sessions strengthen the emotional connection between the child and parent/caregiver, helping the child see themselves as valuable, and increasing regulation skills. Problem behaviours can decrease as a result of this.
For more information see https://theraplay.org/index.php/for-parents
Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT)
Cognitive Behaviour Therapy is an evidence-based treatment for a range of difficulties including anxiety. With children, the focus in on learning about anxiety (for example), identifying and managing physical symptoms, and identifying and modifying anxious thinking patterns. The child is then supported to use their new skills to systematically change their anxious behaviours. An important part of CBT intervention for children with anxiety is also empowering parents/caregivers to support their child’s brave behaviour and cease actions that may be inadvertently reinforcing the child’s anxiety.
Eye Movement Desensitisation & Reprocessing (EMDR)
EMDR is an evidence-based intervention designed to treat trauma. It focuses on helping the brain process difficult information by integrating fragmented traumatic memories, which can significantly reduce the distress caused by the memories. EMDR also helps to integrate and process uncomfortable physical sensations associated with difficult memories. The therapy can be used from infancy with parental support as it does not rely on the child having to verbalise their experience.
For more information see: https://www.anagomez.org/what-emdr-parents
Post- Natal adjustment support
Post-Natal Adjustment Support
This therapeutic intervention focuses on supporting parents who have had any difficulties with the pregnancy, birth and/or transition to parenting. We deliver this service from a dyadic framework keeping the family at the centre.
Our Vision
Our vision at Nurture Family Services is to empower families to connect and grow in their relationships. We are passionate about empowering children and families to realise their full potential. We treat each family as unique and we take the time to get to know your family and together we make a plan to support you.
To ensure we deliver highly skilled and quality services we receive monthly supervision from a Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist.
The current Psychiatrist overseeing our service is Dr Denice Guy.
Our values:
- Tailoring interventions to fit families, not making families fit the interventions
- Using a range of evidence-based interventions
- Treating all children and their families with respect and dignity
- Communicating and collaborating with families, with the view that parents and caregivers are the experts on their children
- Raising awareness of the importance of relationships in supporting positive change
Meet the Team
Nicki McNab
Child and Family Psychologist
I am a Registered Child and Family Psychologist and have completed both a Masters degree and Postgraduate Diploma in Child and Family Psychology through the University of Canterbury.
I have worked in Specialist Mental Health Services and community services for children and young people with learning disabilities and moderate to severe mental health needs. I have enjoyed a varied career providing assessment and intervention for children and teens with anxiety, depression, ADHD, Autism Spectrum Disorder, eating disorders (including Avoidant Restrictive Food Intake Disorder), Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, and post-traumatic stress.
Natasha Nish
Infant/Child Mental Health Clinician
I am a fully registered Clinical Social Worker, with a Masters of Social Work (Applied) and a Post Graduate Diploma Mental Health (Perinatal and Infant) through the New South Wales Institute of Psychiatry. I have a special interest in Infant Mental Health, supporting parents during the perinatal period and the first five years. This can be a time of transition and is different for every parent. I specialise in parenting and dyadic, play-based interventions.
Sarah McLaren
Occupational Therapist/Child and Family Mental Health Clinician
I am a Registered Occupational Therapist and have completed Postgraduate studies in both Mental Health and Addictions, and Cognitive Behavioural Therapy. I am also trained in trauma informed Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, and provide clinical supervision to other Occupational Therapists. I am currently working towards becoming a Foundational Practitioner in Theraplay. I am a member of the Occupational Therapy New Zealand – Whakatata Ngangahau Aotearoa.
Malena Penney
Child and Family Psychologist
I am a mother of three children and Registered Child and Family Psychologist with a Postgraduate Diploma in Child and Family Psychology through the University of Canterbury.I have completed a Masters degree investigating the impact of Food Allergy and Coeliac Disease on Quality of Life in both children and parents.
Kate Goonan
Child and Family Psychologist
I am a Registered Child and Family Psychologist and have completed both a Masters degree and Postgraduate Diploma in Child and Family Psychology through the University of Canterbury. I have worked across a variety of settings, such as Education, Community, and Child, Adolescent and Family Mental Health Services.
What to Expect
At Nurture Family Services we will provide a treatment plan tailored specifically to your family. The first part of your experience will be an assessment spanning two sessions with both Nicki and Natasha. This will allow us to get to know your family and hear about your concerns. This ensures that you receive the expertise of both therapists who will then consult together to make sure they are providing the best intervention package possible.
We value our team building relationships with each family that comes through our doors, which enables our therapists to provide different aspects of the treatment package. Following assessment, we will then work with your family to develop an intervention plan based on current research.
Contact Us
Ask a question or book an appointment below.
*Please note that we generally only work with children aged 8 years and under. However we can see children aged up to 12 years on a case by case basis, if they require one or more of the therapies we specialise in.