How IFS and NA Touch are transforming trauma support - for our families and therapists

Internal Family Systems and NeuroAffective Touch are changing the way we work 

At Kids Inspire, we're always growing. Not just in how we support the children and families who come to us, but in how we support each other too. 

This Learning at Work Week we want to explain a little more about why we, as a trauma informed children’s mental health charity place such importance on continuous learning. 

Lately, that’s meant investing in specialist training in Internal Family Systems (IFS) and NeuroAffective Touch (NA Touch) for our therapy team. Both offer gentle but powerful ways to connect more deeply - with the people we work with, and with ourselves as practitioners. 

So, what exactly are they? And why are they making such a difference? 

Internal Family Systems (IFS) 

IFS is a way of working that helps us understand the different ‘parts’ inside of all of us. Developed by Dr Richard Schwartz, it’s built around the idea that these aspects of ourselves might carry burdens, try to protect us, or hold onto painful experiences. 
Rather than seeing these parts as problems, IFS invites us to approach them with compassion and curiosity. The goal? To help people reconnect with their core Self, where children and families begin to feel more whole, often for the first time. 

NeuroAffective Touch (NA Touch) 

NA Touch, developed by Dr Aline LaPierre, blends somatic therapy, attachment theory, and developmental neuroscience. 
It uses safe, therapeutic touch to help people reconnect with their bodies, process trauma, and rebuild a sense of safety. It can be especially powerful for those whose early experiences of connection, emotional or physical, were disrupted or neglected. 

How this helps the children and families we support 

So many of the children and families we meet and see are carrying trauma, emotional pain, or feel disconnected from their bodies and emotions. 
IFS gives them a language to understand what’s going on inside, without shame or blame. It helps children and families see how even their most difficult feelings are trying to protect them. Healing happens when these parts are heard, seen, and understood. 

NA Touch brings the body into the process. Trauma often gets "stuck" in the body, even after the mind has tried to move on. By using safe, attuned touch, clients can gently reconnect with body memories and emotions that words alone sometimes can't reach. 

Together, IFS and NA Touch offer a more holistic, compassionate, and empowering way forward for the children and families we support. 

How this helps our team 

Therapists and a trainer during an IFS workshop.

Our team is the heart of Kids Inspire. Investing in their growth doesn’t just improve therapeutic outcomes - it makes us stronger. 

• a stronger team culture 
  Shared learning brings people together. When we train, reflect, and grow as a team, it builds connection and a shared sense of purpose. 

• feeling valued and invested in 
  Training sends a clear message to our team: You matter. We believe in you. 
  That sense of being valued builds loyalty, trust, and a team that stays with us (many of our therapists have been with us over ten years). 

• more creative, adaptive practice 
  We know that no two clients are the same. A variety of approaches means our team can respond with creativity and flexibility, boosting the chance of those magical breakthrough moments that make our work so rewarding. 

• professional growth and career satisfaction 
  Our therapists are lifelong learners. 
  When we, as an employer offer rich, impactful training, it keeps their work fresh and fulfilling. It allows them to develop new skills and sparks new ideas. 

• reduce burnout and greater resilience 
  IFS and NA Touch don’t just help our clients, they help us too. 
  These approaches support self-awareness, self-compassion, and emotional regulation, helping our team stay grounded and better protected against burnout. 

• spreading the word 
  When our team feel supported and excited about where they work, they tell other people. This helps us attract new talent and builds Kids Inspire as a place where people want to be. 

Why ongoing learning matters 

In mental health work, standing still isn't an option. Research is evolving fast, from trauma therapy to neuroscience, and we owe it to the children and families we support to be on the front foot. 

Training in IFS and NA Touch keeps us aligned with best practice. But more than that, it shows that we're serious about growth, safety, and excellence, not just for our clients, but for our team too. 

A final word 

At the heart of IFS and NA Touch is a simple but powerful truth: 
Healing happens when we listen deeply - to ourselves, to each other, and to the wisdom of the body. 

For the families and children we work with, these approaches offer a pathway to lasting change. 
For our team, they offer tools for compassion, connection, and resilience. 
And for Kids Inspire, they’re part of a bigger story. One where innovation, learning, and heart-led care always come first.