Children who have experienced trauma, loss or separation early in life need more than just special care and attention; they need to be parented with love and security in a way that allows them to heal and rebuild emotional bonds. This comprehensive book provides parents and carers with crucial advice and guidance on how to strengthen attachment and trust.Based on Dan Hughes' proven 'PACE' model of therapeutic parenting, this book explains how to implement PACE techniques to overcome the challenges faced by children who struggle to connect emotionally. Barriers to stable relationships such as a lack of trust, fear of emotional intimacy, and high levels of shame are all explained. It explores techniques to overcome these barriers by teaching how to support the child's behaviour at the same time as building empathy and trust.The practical parenting guidance offered throughout is essential for carers or parents of troubled children, and will help build safe, secure emotional relationships.

Introduction. Section 1: Understanding challenges of parenting. 1. Blocked trust: I cannot believe you love me unconditionally. 2. Fear of the intersubjective relationship: I cannot let you influence me. 3. Shame: I need to hide from you. 4. Hidden and expressed attachment needs: I only feel safe when I hide as well as express my needs for support from you. Section 2: Therapeutic parenting. 5. Increasing the capacity to be mind-minded to support therapeutic parenting. 6. Building connections through parenting with PACE. 7. Parenting in the moment: Supporting behaviour through connection with correction. Section 3: Looking after yourself. 8. Learning from the past: understanding yourself through an exploration of your attachment history. 9. Blocked care: losing the joy in parenting. 10. Developing self-care. Reading list. Glossary.