Please see Kate Renshaw

The Teacher’s Optimal Relationship Approach (TORA) is a school-based, early intervention mental health and wellbeing strategy. This doctoral study incorporated teacher feedback to facilitate the development of the TORA and assess for efficacy. The voices and views of the teacher participants form part of the process of the TORA becoming an evidence-based approach. The novel component of this research is that teachers can be a therapeutic change agent for every child in the classroom, influencing social, emotional, behavioural and academic engagement. The TORA was originally conceived from the researcher’s clinical work in schools, where it became apparent through collaboration with teachers that every teacher could benefit from theoretical knowledge and skills derived from Play and Filial Therapy. Play and Filial Therapy are evidence based mental health approaches. Play Therapy combines both relational skills and the therapeutic powers of play to provide a developmentally sensitive mental health service for children and young people. Filial Therapy works on the premise that the most important people in the lives of children can learn some of the therapeutic skills used in Play Therapy. When children are at school, one of the most important people is their teacher. TheTORA acknowledges the pivotal role teachers play in the lives of children and provides teachers with skills to embed therapeutic qualities and playfulness into their daily relationships in school. As part of the research project, the voice of the teacher participants was essential in both continuing to refine the TORA and assess for its efficacy and suitability in Australian schools. Classroom observation and focus group data will be presented in this workshop to showcase how the researcher and teachers listened and learned together.