Coram is today (6 February) launching a free Family Harmony Toolkit for professionals working with families to reduce the impact of harmful conflict on children’s mental health.
Developed by Coram’s Creative Therapies team in collaboration with the Department for Work and Pensions, the Family Harmony Toolkit offers a framework to help practitioners support families experiencing difficulties in communication and additional pressures on family life such as transitions and supporting a child with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) which can all exacerbate conflict within families.
The toolkit is based on the Family Harmony Intervention, developed and facilitated by Coram’s Parenting and Creative Therapy Service. The intervention is an innovative and strengths-based multi-family group programme promoting family attunement, with a strong emphasis on healthy communication, enhancing skills in emotional regulation, mentalising, mindfulness, attentive listening and calming techniques.
The toolkit provides practical resources, including session guides and activities that draw from family therapy, music therapy, and art therapy interventions. Session guides and activities can be used as part of a planned programme or in isolation, in groups or with individual families.
An evaluation of the Family Harmony Intervention, also published today, finds that families positively engaged with the programme with 42 of the 65 families (64%) referred onto the 10-week programme taking up the offer. Among the families that started Family Harmony, 60% completed it, with families with a child with SEND more likely to complete it. Parents and carers reported that they and their family members benefited from a better understanding of each other, strengthened communication and shifts in parenting style. Children enjoyed the art and music activities and spending quality time with their parents/carers. Families also noted the value of being able to seek further support if needed and not feeling alone in the face of challenges, as well as feeling more connected to their local community.
Dr Anna Harris, clinical psychologist and head of Coram’s Creative Therapies team, said: “We are really proud to introduce the Family Harmony Toolkit. We have developed this creative resource to help families reduce the challenges of conflict within their relationships.
“This initiative empowers families to strengthen their relationships and build emotional resilience in ways that are both therapeutic and engaging. We anticipate this will provide many creative opportunities to support families to have fun and connect together.”