By KELLY WILSON

Herald-Whig Staff Writer

Karen Buckwalter and Michelle Robison have been helping children at Chaddock for 12 years using an approach called Theraplay.

Now they're sharing their knowledge in other parts of the world.

The two therapists conducted trainings in Llandindrod Wells, Wales, in March, and Buckwalter led a training in Chorley, Lancashire, England, in April.

Buckwalter, director of program strategy at Chaddock, also has led trainings in London three times, and Robison, associate director of clinical services, assisted on one of those trips.

"Theraplay is a developmentally based therapy approach that can be impactful for a variety of children," Robison said.

Theraplay re-creates the patterns of healthy interactions that occur between very young children and their caregivers. The goal is to develop bonds of trust and affection between the adolescents and their caregivers, allowing them to relax their need to be in control of interactions and to engage more fully with others.

Activities address four key dimensions: structure, challenge, engagement and nurturing.

"It really helps kids to heal," Buckwalter said.

Both Buckwalter and Robison are certified trainers in Theraplay and have enjoyed sharing the approach internationally.

In Wales, the two worked with a large social service agency called Barnados. The audience mainly was therapists who work with foster parents and foster children.

"They wanted trainers that worked with older kids, and that's our specialty," Buckwalter said.

"It was just fantastic," Robison said. "Being able to meet the people and talk with them, they have many of the same issues we have in the U.S."

She said it was rewarding to work with the foster parents in the training -- "to be able to see their excitement to learn new tools to help their kids get better."

In Chorley, Buckwalter worked with an agency called After Adoption, which works with birthparents, adoptive parents and adoptive children.

She and Robison are grateful to Chaddock for supporting their training efforts.

"Chaddock is a learning organization and really allows their staff to learn new things," Buckwalter said. "Michelle and I have been able to reap the benefits of that and now are being able to share that not only nationally, but internationally."

She says they learn during the trainings, too.

"It's an opportunity to bring back ideas to help our kids. It's a win-win," Buckwalter said.

"It's a blessing to the staff here and a blessing to us," Robison said.

The best part is "to be able to reach out and help so many families and children ... giving hope," Robison said. "I think we bring a lot of that when we go to these places."

-- kwilson@whig.com/221-3391