What is Thrive?

Thrive is a therapeutic approach to help support the optimal social and emotional development of all children.

The Thrive approach offers practical strategies and techniques and is built around online assessments which identify children’s emotional development and provides action plans for their individual needs.

Research has shown that how we behave is linked to how we feel and our emotions are linked to how we learn. By teaching children to recognise and notice these feelings and emotions, it can help with their development and learning.

Children sometimes need some extra support with their emotional growth and this can be temporary or over a longer period of time. Thrive promotes their emotional and social growth by building positive relationships between a child and their peers and helps them explore and understand their feelings through various activities.

The benefits of Thrive in childhood

• Offers simple changes to the way we work that will make a lasting difference to children
• Provides practical strategies and activities to support optimal social and emotional development
• Profiles emotional and social skills and creates personalised action plans for individuals who struggle to access learning
• Helps vulnerable or distressed children to feel safe, special and able to engage with learning 
• Provides simple and effective ways to help reduce anxiety and increase productive learning and achievement 

Why might my child attend a Thrive session?

Many children experience difficulties during their time at school. These may include:

• Difficulties with friendships.
• Finding it hard to settle in the classroom.
• Finding it difficult to manage their strong feelings.
• Not knowing who to turn to when feelings are too big to manage on their own.

These situations can lead to many different feelings which may seem overwhelming at times. They might include: anger, frustration, sadness, loneliness, confusion or anxiety. 

All these feelings are very normal and happen to a lot of children. The Thrive sessions are to help children learn to manage their feelings and teach them strategies that will help promote their learning at school.

What will happen in a Thrive session?

The session may be on an individual basis or as part of a small group of children. During each session there will be an activity which may include:

• Story telling
• Circle games
• Arts and crafts
• Sand play
• Movement and relaxation
• Hand and foot massage
• Cooking and preparing food
• Role play and puppet work
• Games

For more information about the Thrive approach please visit the website:
http://www.thriveapproach.co.uk