The Power of PACE: Playfulness, Acceptance, Curiosity, Empathy
PACE, developed by Dan Hughes and a corner stone of Dyadic Developmental Practice, is one of the most effective approaches for working with children who’ve experienced relational trauma. Each element — Playfulness, Acceptance, Curiosity, and Empathy — helps to build safety and connection.
Playfulness reduces tension and invites joy. Acceptance offers validation of a child’s inner world, their thoughts, feelings and beliefs, even when their behaviour challenges those around them. Curiosity helps carers look behind the behaviour to understand what drives it. Empathy communicates 'I get it’ and ‘you are not alone in this'. Together, an attitude of PACE creates a foundation for healing.
For children in care who often expect rejection, PACE offers a radically different experience. It builds relationships where trust can grow and shame is minimised.
For carers and staff, an attitude of PACE helps us to engage with young people, day to day, in ways that fuel connection, breaking down blocked trust, and reducing the escalation of distress.
Our 2-day Therapeutic Parenting course provides practical opportunities to practice PACE, reflect on its challenges, and learn how to use it consistently across care settings.
