P.A.C.E Therapeutic Training

Course introduction

P.A.C.E Therapeutic Training is a trauma-informed course aimed at equipping educators with therapeutic teaching tools. In this course, we explore the impact of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) in relation to mental health in the schools, the pillars of secure attachment, and unpack the P.A.C.E model which was devised by renowned clinical psychologist Dr Daniel Hughes.

PACE represents Playfulness, Acceptance, Curiosity and Empathy; and is often viewed as a supportive parenting technique. However, with the increase in poor mental health outcomes in education, more schools are adopting a restorative trauma-informed approach by using PACE to support student and staff wellbeing.

Therapeutic teaching through P.A.C.E, will enable you to enhance security and attention of children, young people and staff, increase worthiness, and most importantly, create a sense of belonging in a safe and inclusive school environment.

What we will cover throughout the day

Gain a comprehensive understanding of how the P.A.C.E model (Playfulness, Acceptance, Curiosity, and Empathy) can build trust, foster emotional connection, and support behaviour management in educational settings.
Examine behaviour as communication through a trauma-informed lens, considering the impact of trauma on brain development, emotional regulation, attachment, and social development.
Learn how to effectively adopt and integrate the P.A.C.E model into your professional practice to support children and young people.
Understand how to use the P.A.C.E model in conjunction with regulation strategies and empathetic discipline to deliver behavioural support.
Recognise the importance of self-care for professionals, including understanding blocked care and strategies to maintain emotional resilience.

Target audience

Headteachers, Senior Leaders, Educational Therapists, Educational Psychologists, Teachers, TAs, Learning Support, MHSTs, SENCo/ALNCo, Pastoral Support, Behaviour Leads. As well as multidisciplinary teams i.e. looked after children, foster care, adoption agencies, social services.

Trainers for this course

Nicola Harvey

Nicola Harvey is a former SEND teacher with a passion for promoting wellbeing and inclusion in education. She is the founder of Harvey Heals Wellbeing & Training Consultancy which strives... to raise awareness of compassionate mental health through a diverse and inclusive lens. Nicola is a qualified and experienced mental health specialist, education consultant, clinical reflective practice supervisor, and MHFA England trainer. With a compassion-focused approach, Nicola strives to embed evidence-based nurturing approaches to supporting mental health and wellbeing.

See what others have to say about us

Don’t just take our word for it, visit our social media pages for live feedback.

Great informative session. I have attended many courses with NSMTC and they are great!

Making me think a lot about our school and how we can improve our provision for our children. The Trainer was very informative and a good balance of information and discussion.

The trainer was brilliant, training has been informative and interactive throughout, really good.

About the venue

Stay at home, get comfortable and enjoy our live interactive course via Zoom! You’ll receive the link a few days before the course date so you can get prepared (and excited) ahead of time.

Handy course logistics

The course will run via Zoom from 9:30 am – 3:00 pm, however, the trainer will be available 15 minutes before and after the course times to answer any questions.
You’ll receive mid-morning, lunch and afternoon breaks to re-energise.
This course is designed to be interactive and inclusive. We welcome questions and discussions throughout and we want you to be comfortable and stress-free no matter where you join us from!
Your course pack includes handouts, an M&S voucher for food, a snack, a pen and a notepad – we’ll send this to you before the day. Please note this is only for UK-based participants, international attendees will receive the pack via email.
Additional links and information will be emailed to you before and during the course.
This course is also available as an in-house / INSET training session at your school. Contact us for details.
Please Note – the cost is per person
Please note – the early bird rate of £185+ VAT ends 28 days prior to the course date, after this the standard rate of £215+VAT will be charged.