Emma Decker-Thomas is a Consultant Therapeutic Social Worker with over twenty years experience. She has worked in Child Protection in London and Wales, as an adopter and foster assessor and Social Worker, as an Independent Social Worker completing parenting assessments for court proceedings and worked for CAFCASS Cymru as a family court mediator. She has worked in the field of adoption for the last 8 years, developing a model for Adoption Transitions in statutory services that is now used in Best Practice across Wales. She has worked for the last 5 years at The Family Place.
Emma is a certified Theraplay Therapist and Trainer, a trainee Theraplay Supervisor and a Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy (DDP) Practitioner. She is trained in the By Your Side model, Non Violent Resistance Therapy (level 1) and Building Underdeveloped Sensory Motor Systems (BUSS) Level 1 and 2. Emma has spoken at conferences about work with children in adoption transitions and on the adaptability of Theraplay. Emma regularly provides training and consultations to professionals in many areas on themes such as PACE approaches, Theraplay, By Your Side, Learning with Theraplay, Parenting with Theraplay
Developing and running a transitions model for a statutory adoption service further focused Emma for a trauma-informed understanding of children’s needs and how this can be so powerful in supporting families and professionals to connect with children. Emma has expanded her theoretical understandings and knowledge base – though often feels she learns most from the children and families she works with. Emma is constantly humbled and wowed by the power of play in giving families time and space in which to build connections, and in children’s willingness to let adults in, especially when they have had their trust betrayed.
From her placement as a trainee in a therapeutic social work team she has been drawn to working therapeutically and creatively with families using stories, play and singing. She has always been fascinated by the way relationships form and develop throughout our lives. As a part-time shepherd, watching attachment behaviour in Emma’s sheep delights her! Emma is constantly humbled and wowed by the power of play in giving families time and space in which to build connections.
Emma is a registered Social Worker with the Care Council of Wales and Social Work England.