The Swallow's Trail Parenting Support

28/03/2026

Looking forward to facilitating this 7 day Therapeutic Play Skills course In a few weeks! It’s a great foundation level training in using play in you current working role and an ideal starting point to dip your toe into the power of play!!!

Final call for anyone interested in joining our next Therapeutic Play Skills Certificate course. If you have been thinking about applying for this course now is your time to do so!

CTC’s Therapeutic Play Skills Certificate, a QQI Level 6 Minor Award, is a fantastic course for professionals working with children, or parents/carers, interested in developing new skills to make more therapeutic use of play within their current professional role. It is also ideal foundation level training for anyone considering applying for our MA course. CTC’s Certificate in Therapeutic Play Skills is offered on a part-time basis and equips participants with the relevant knowledge, skill and competencies to plan, deliver and evaluate both group and individual play-based interventions.

One April intake is taking place in person in our Limerick training centre. This is a wonderful opportunity to complete this amazing course face to face. An added bonus is that one of our wonderful MA trainers, Cathy O Byrne is facilitating the Limerick course.

April In Person Limerick Course Dates: 11th & 12th April, April 19th, 2nd&3rd May, 13th & 14th June

Trainer: Cathy O’Bryne


The second April intake is being offered as a “remote” live online learning programmes with experiential learning opportunities built in throughout.

April Live Online Intake Dates: 11th& 12thApril, May 2nd,23rd& 24thMay, June 6th& 7th.Assignments due on or before July 12th. 10am – 5pm live online each day.

Trainer: Edel Lawlor

Applications will be closing for both intakes soon so if you are ready to stay this incredible training please get your application in! Full details and online application available at www.childrenstherapycentre.ie

23/03/2026

Brimming with excitement here after being part of the first group trained in the CPRT (Child Parent Relationship Training) group model for Parents here in Ireland.🇮🇪

It’s a 10 week evidence based programme for parents in maximising the benefits of child led play that teaches them skills to:
Follow their child’s lead
Validate and co-regulate feelings
Set limits when needed
Offer choices that promote autonomy
Build self esteem and intrinsic motivation but best of all:
Maximise the power of the parent child connection using 30 minutes of ‘just me and you time’ a week…

The icing on the cake was definitely getting to learn from the very wonderful Dr Sue Bratton herself!
I am rolling it out in Croom Frc after Easter and hopefully again in Autumn time with another FRC.

Will also be teaming up with Treasure Within Therapy to offer it to parents in a private capacity also!

Please get in touch if you’d like to have a chat about it!

Having Dr. Sue Bratton facilitate for us was a wonderful end to our CPRT training, thank you so much to Dr. Sue, Cathy , Lisa and Liz for facilitating this wonderful course for us. And massive thank you to the wonderfully playful and engaged therapists who joined us for the course, it was great to have you with us! A very successful course indeed.

CPRT - Child Parent Relationship Therapy - is an evidence based Filial Therapy model. We are excited for all that lies ahead for the therapists who completed the training with us and for the families they are going to work with. We are also excited to plan the next course, if you are interested in completing our training in Child Parent Relationship Therapy (CPRT): A 10-Session Filial Therapy Model for Groups please register your interest on our website - www.childrenstherapycentre.ie

18/03/2026

If behaviour could speak…
What would it say?
Learn to decode and read what’s underneath the behaviour..
Using the Circle of Security as a guide map.
Learn new skills to understand and meet deeper needs and respond to behaviour in a
Bigger,
Stronger,
Wiser and Kind way 💫
Queries welcome by email or WhatsApp!
Shares, reposts and tags would be very much appreciated too!

04/03/2026

It’s been a while- so here we go!
Welcome to all the new parents who have followed my page recently!
I’m delighted you found your way here and I hope you will find it helpful and supportive to you on your parenting journey.
Here’s a little outline of the services and supports I provide at The Swallow’s Trail, which began as a private practice for Play Therapy in 2012 and has evolved over time to become a bespoke, individualised an award-winning support service for parents. Thanks so much to all who joined my webinar on self-care for hub this morning!
And to Gemma of course for the invitation to be part of what is becoming a very special and empowering community for parents!
I’m online for week 5 withy Circle of Security group in a little while.
Did I mention I really love my job!?!❤️💫
Feel free to get in touch with any questions,
I am happy to hear from you!

04/03/2026

Starting Thursday 12th!

***There are still places left available **
After the success of her last Support Group, Michelle Nelligan will be facilitating her next group for parents caring for Autistic children, teens & adults starting - Thursday March 12th, from 10am to 11.30

Please find all details below and Michelle's contact information.

Supported by EVA - Ennis Voices for Autism

02/03/2026

It comes up again and again..
The importance of the quality of relationships and connection…
Not just the connection you cultivate with your child…
It begins even before that.
An ongoing invitation to look at how we relate to ourselves as parents and individuals.
Our connection to our own needs, feelings, experiences, strengths and struggles.
Lots of parents don’t get a minute to do this for themselves or with their parenting partners.
And that’s why taking space in parent support sessions can be a great start!
Let me know if you have any questions!

27/02/2026

Something I hear all the time!
And I thought it was fairly true til I learned about Circle of Security in 2016…
This gave me a new way to think about it.
It gave me a new way to think about lots of things in parenting.
The true meaning of good enough,
What’s underneath behaviour,
Why it’s hard sometimes to soothe big feelings,
And more!!!
Now I get it to share what I have learned with parents who come to work with me!
I’m not great with some maps ( you can ask my family!🤣🤣)
But this is one map I can definitely help you with!!💫✨🌱
There are pinned posts at the top of my grid detailing parent feedback and why I love teaching COS as much as I do!
And of course all details are on my website.
Happy to answer any questions you might have!
I would really appreciate any tags, shares or reposts please.
Thanks a million!

24/02/2026

I got an email over the weekend that I had to read and re-read a few times…
At first I honestly thought there must be some mistake..it was a bit hard to take in!
Someone has nominated me for a Women of Vision Award 2026 💫
My vision when I created my service was to create a holding space for parents who need support, gentle reassurance or some compassionate guidance to get things back on track.
It was founded on the premise that ‘the parent child connection is the most powerful mental health intervention known to mankind.’ (Bessel van der Kolk)
It was created to be able to make a timely and targeted response to what parents were needing without having to face long or inaccessible waiting lists.
It was created because as a parent I know how just hard things can be and how much we can doubt our capacity sometimes.
It has become a safe haven where parents can return as they need, just like the swallows do!
Whoever took the time to put my name and the vision of The Swallow’s Trail forward- thank you for thinking of me and my work in this way 🥰💫✨

24/02/2026

Great blog post from Daire Gilmartin

Understanding the Three-Year-Old Brain and What Actually Helps