ABSTRACT
This chapter explores ways to appropriately engage children and their carers in family play therapy sessions where an understanding of relevant neuroscience. It provides overview of brain development and the factors that influence this. The chapter presents planning and delivering interventions guided by neuroscientific evidence, and provide a case study vignette. The development of a child's brain can be impacted upon by many factors and the first vulnerable stage of development is whilst the child is in utero. Exposure to alcohol or drugs in utero can have lifelong consequences. Once trauma has occurred, individual intervention can include a combination of play therapy, psycho-educational intervention, cognitive behavioural approaches, insight orientated therapy and pharmacotherapy. The Neurosequential Model of Therapeutics (NMT) is not a specific intervention but, rather, an approach to clinical work that is informed by neuroscience. Perry identifies that patterned neural activation is necessary for neural re-organization.
