Study looks at how complimentary therapies can help bereaved youngsters

Treetops Hospice has announced a new research partnership to examine how complementary therapies can benefit children and adolescents coping with bereavement.

The Risley-based end-of-life charity provides counselling and complementary therapy services for children and adults and has seen encouraging anecdotal evidence of the positive impact these interventions can have.

All complementary therapy sessions for young people take place in The Saplings, the hospice’s bespoke children’s centre.

The building was created as part of the BBC’s DIY SOS Big Build for Children in Need, which was filmed at the hospice just over two years ago.

It has now teamed up with Nottingham Trent University (NTU) for a new study, which will gather insights directly from service users and explore how therapies such as aromatherapy, reflexology, Reiki and Indian head massage can help improve sleep quality and reduce anxiety in young people experiencing grief.

The research collaboration was initiated by Dr Mike Vernon, senior lecturer in psychology at NTU, and Paulo Karat, psychotherapist and academic at Nottingham Law School, part of NTU, following Paulo’s therapy training placement at Treetops.

Paulo said: “Having completed a placement at Treetops, I came away with huge respect and admiration for what the charity does and what it stands for.

“As academics, Mike and I wanted to find a way for NTU and Treetops to work together. Fortunately, they had the same appetite to work on a collaborative study.”

As a qualitative part of the research, NTU will also explore the experiences of Treetops’ talking therapists, inviting counsellors to reflect on how complementary therapies shape the emotional engagement, wellbeing and progress of the bereaved children and teenagers they support.

Alex Silvester, senior complementary therapist at Treetops Hospice, said: “We see every day how complementary therapies can make a real difference for children and young people – helping them relax, easing anxiety, improving sleep and giving them a safe space to process their emotions.

“This research gives us the chance to understand that impact in a more scientific way and gather meaningful evidence about the benefits we witness in our therapy rooms.

“Working with Nottingham Trent University will help us show the true value of complementary therapy and continue developing the support we offer to bereaved children and teenagers.”