What is CORA?
CORA stands for Contextualised Optimal Relationship Approach.
Do you work with children in an area where they may feel vulnerable, scared, nervous, unsure or angry? Perhaps at the dentist, hospital, on the sports field, children moving through the foster care system or at a counsellors? Sometimes in these spaces, it can take some time and sometimes quite a bit of effort to reassure, encourage, coax and at times bribe a child to let the professional do what is required.
Professionals working with children can benefit from learning Play Therapy skills and having tools to genuinely connect with children. Play Therapy skills may support the adult - child relationship and therefore enrich the practitioner / professional’s ability to provide the conditions that allow children to engage, be more settled and respond in the setting.
Nicole is a Certified CORA Practitioner and registered Play Therapist (MCPT) who offers individual and group workshops for professionals who would benefit from learning play therapy skills to help children feel more comfortable and at ease within their workplace setting.
These can be tailored to meet your business and its needs, from 2 hour specific sessions to whole day workshops covering all 8 CORA skills.
Nicole will also return to your workplace to do follow up sessions to see how your going at implementing these skills ‘on the ground’. This will give you the opportunity to refine and expand on your practice of them.
CORA was founded by Dr Kate Renshaw PhD (Phil), Postgrad Dip Play Therapy (*MA equivalent), GradDip Art Therapy, GradCert HELT, BA Psychology. The CORA is a natural extension of Teacher's Optimal Relationship Approach (TORA) that has proven to be very successful in a school setting.
“The CORA has so far been incorporated into health and social care settings with a range of paraprofessionals from nurses to social workers. A CORA practice example, at the Queen Elizabeth Centre (QEC) Hospital in Melbourne, was presented at 2017 Australasia Pacific Play Therapy Association (APPTA) conference"
QEC staff were trained and supervised by two play therapists.
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(Drewes, A., & Mullen, J. (Eds.), (2023). Supervison can be playful : Techniques for Child and play therapist supervisors. Rowan & Littlefield Publishers, Incorporated.