Entering the Safe Harbour – Sharing and Understanding the Story

12 – 18 1 hour sessions delivered fortnightly, alongside a trusted adult, ideally in the child’s own home.

At Safe Harbour Stories, wherever possible, a known and trusted adult, usually the child’s caregiver, is present throughout. Children feel safer and are better able to process difficult experiences when supported by someone they trust, helping their nervous system settle, increasing their capacity to make sense of their story. As Hughes and Baylin (2012) remind us, “you have to feel safe to feel sad.”

In Safe Harbour terms, this trusted adult becomes part of the harbour itself — a steady presence alongside the practitioner, holding the child in mind and continuing that support beyond the sessions.

During the sessions, wallpaper is used to map the child's journey,  using play, relational and age‑appropriate approaches, the child can begin to understand what happened to them, why decisions were made, and — most importantly — that they were not to blame.