This informal CPD article ‘How PACE Supports Secure Attachments and Trauma-Informed Care’, was provided by Phoenix-Kaw Care Consultancy, a health and social care training and consultancy organisation dedicated to improving standards of care across the sector.
Introduction
Children and young people who have experienced trauma or disrupted attachments often struggle to feel safe, trust others, and regulate their emotions. For caregivers, educators, and professionals, creating secure, healing relationships is vital. The PACE model—Playfulness, Acceptance, Curiosity, and Empathy offers a practical framework for supporting these needs. Developed by a leading Clinical Psychologist (1), PACE is widely used in therapeutic parenting, foster care, education, and trauma-informed practice to strengthen connection and promote resilience.
Understanding Attachment and Trauma
Attachment theory explains how children form emotional bonds with caregivers (2). Secure attachment is the foundation of healthy development, enabling children to explore, learn, and build confidence. However, when early experiences include abuse, neglect, or instability—commonly referred to as Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs)—children may develop insecure or disorganised attachment styles.
Research shows that high ACE scores are strongly linked to poorer mental health, educational outcomes, and social difficulties in later life (3). Trauma responses such as anxiety, aggression, withdrawal, or hypervigilance are not signs of “bad behaviour,” but protective survival strategies developed in unsafe environments. Understanding behaviour as communication is central to a trauma-informed approach.
The PACE Model in Practice
Playfulness
Playfulness introduces joy, lightness, and shared positive experiences into relationships. A gentle tone, humour, or playful interaction reduces defensiveness and fear, helping children feel safe. For example, turning daily routines into small games can transform stressful moments into opportunities for connection.
Acceptance
Acceptance means validating a child’s internal world—acknowledging their feelings without judgment, even when behaviour is challenging. This does not excuse harmful actions but recognises that emotions are real and meaningful. Acceptance helps reduce shame and builds a child’s sense of worth.
Curiosity
Curiosity invites open, non-judgmental exploration of what a child is experiencing. Asking, “I wonder what was going on for you?” helps children feel understood and valued. Unlike interrogation, curiosity fosters empathy and insight, supporting emotional growth.
Empathy
Empathy goes beyond understanding—it communicates “you are not alone.” By sharing in a child’s emotional experience, caregivers provide co-regulation, helping the child manage overwhelming feelings. Empathy builds trust, nurtures resilience, and strengthens attachment bonds.
Why PACE Matters for Trauma-Informed Care
PACE aligns closely with the principles of trauma-informed practice (4), which emphasise safety, trust, empowerment, and collaboration. By prioritising relational safety before correction, PACE helps children shift from survival responses to calmer, more connected states. This not only supports emotional regulation but also fosters long-term healing.
In residential care, schools, and foster families, PACE provides consistent, compassionate strategies for daily interactions. From bedtime resistance to school refusal or aggressive outbursts, applying PACE helps adults respond with patience, understanding, and connection rather than control or punishment.
Building Resilience Through Relationships
Secure, nurturing relationships are the most powerful protective factor against the long-term effects of trauma. By embedding PACE into everyday practice, caregivers and professionals create environments where children feel seen, heard, and valued. Over time, this relational safety enables them to develop trust, regulate emotions, and build positive identities.
Conclusion
PACE is more than a therapeutic model—it is a relational mindset. By combining playfulness, acceptance, curiosity, and empathy, adults can help children recover from the wounds of trauma, form secure attachments, and thrive in safe, supportive relationships. For anyone working with vulnerable children, PACE offers practical, compassionate tools to turn everyday interactions into moments of healing.
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References
(1) https://www.bmindfulpsychology.co.uk/post/understanding-the-pace-model
(2) Bowlby, J. (1988). A Secure Base: Parent-Child Attachment and Healthy Human Development. Routledge.
(3) https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7340577/#:~:text=Introduction,8
(4) Hughes, D. (2017). Building the Bonds of Attachment: Awakening Love in Deeply Troubled Children. Rowman & Littlefield.
(5) Felitti, V. J., et al. (1998). “Relationship of Childhood Abuse and Household Dysfunction to Many of the Leading Causes of Death in Adults.” American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 14(4), 245–258.
(6) Center on the Developing Child (2015). The Science of Resilience. Harvard University.
