Introducing the

Gentle Touch®           

Parent-Child Program

by

Emma Miller, D.Div.,

The transition of welcoming each baby is always different. Sometimes, it is basically uncomplicated, while at other times, there are significant challenges prenatally, or during birth, infancy, or early childhood. The medically endorsed Gentle Touch® Parent-Child Program is designed to address many needs of the changing family.

Gentle Touch® helps the family identify goals that take into account the status and needs of the baby, each parent, and the family as it is in community. This is one way this program uses a "family-centered" approach. That is, the implementation of Gentle Touch® is always tailored to what the child, parents, and family members bring to, and say they need in, the situation.

Unique to the Gentle Touch® Parent-Child Program is the following combination of 7 key elements that are woven together during facilitation:

 Touch and Massage- Parents come to appreciate the role that appropriate, gentle touch can play in family life. Pregnant mothers receive hands-on massage and learn self-massage, while their partners learn how to nurture with touch and massage during pregnancy and birth. After the birth, parents become proficient in a series of massage routines along the specially designed Gentle Touch® "Touch Continuum". These routines are sensitive to the health, development, and emotional status of the child. They start simply for the newborn, or baby that was born premature or who has special needs. Each routine then conservatively adds strokes, so that the pace is comfortable for the child and the parent. The quality of touch, then, is easily modified to meet the specific needs and age of each child and the parent's ability to offer it.

 Relaxation- Before and after birth, parents increase coping skills, while infants and young children learn to manage their own stress. Imagine stress management beginning in infancy! Parents learn to modulate the state of their child, and use a wide variety of soothing techniques, based on sensory integration principles, when the child is having difficulty self-calming.

 Communication- The process of establishing and building a relationship between each member of the family and the child occurs through understanding prenatal/infant/child/adult communication and behaviors. Pregnant mothers discover ways to communicate and bond with their baby in the womb. Children are encouraged to express themselves. Parents are shown how to respectfully ask permission to touch and wait for a "yes". Through keenly reading the child's cues, and sensitively responding, a foundation of trust and intimacy is laid.

 Nurturing- Deeper and richer nurturance is possible not only when parents are more aware of when, where, and how they touch, but also when they integrate other nurturing activities into their physical and emotional caregiving. Parents discover how to dance in tune with their child's rhythms, as well as how to self-nurture.

 Support- From the time of conception, all families can benefit from individual or group support to encourage the sharing of joys, challenges, and ideas.

 Information- Since every family is unique, the need for information varies. Many parents appreciate the latest information regarding pregnancy, birth, parenting, child development, and family life, as well as how to access a variety of resources.

 Celebration- Each member of the family can experience a sense of personal growth when they view the miracle of new life as joyous. This is especially so during meaningfully designed/facilitated ceremonies for the family in transition (e.g., Blessingways, Baby Welcoming).

Many adults benefit from experiencing the Gentle Touch® Parent-Child Program. Parents who would like to offer the best to themselves and their baby find effective ways to bond and grow personally. These include parents who are pregnant, inexperienced, teen, foster or adoptive, or who are affected by traumatic childhoods, disabilities, domestic violence, substance abuse, as well as those rearing a child with special needs. Caregivers in daycare settings appreciate additional methods to help children relax themselves and to promote security. Medical, health, and developmental professionals have new tools to provide outreach and minimize difficult procedures. Social service and mental health professionals use it to promote positive parenting. Massage therapists can facilitate the program, or they can use it directly if they work with pregnant women or have a relationship with the child.

Any healthy prenate, baby, toddler, or preschooler can benefit. Other children (pre-term, delivered by C-section, substance exposed, high-need, hospitalized, in foster or group care, neglected, abused, or have special needs) can benefit as long as the therapeutic team, including the parents, agree on whether and how to offer the intervention.

Overall, the Gentle Touch® Parent-Child Program promotes well-being and positive interactions. The parent learns to relax and nurture their child, while deriving increased pleasure in parenting. The child is calmer, feels good about him/herself, and feels more secure. The parent-child relationship blossoms. This is especially helpful when there are changes or separations, such as pregnancy, birth, hospitalizations,  daycare, or foster care. Family involvement is encouraged, thereby strengthening family life. The participation of other caregivers is encouraged too.

Referrals come from medical, health, mental health, child abuse, developmental disabilities, substance abuse, early intervention, and social service professionals. A trained Gentle Touch® Practitioner provides early intervention during the pregnancy and after the birth. Group facilitation is offered when the children are well, parents have common issues, the building of parent-to-parent support is a goal, or if there is a “potential risk" situation. Individual facilitation is available when the parent or child is determined to be vulnerable due to “established risks”.

Creative liaisons with obstetricians, hospitals, and pediatricians allow for one-on-one sessions before birth, education at childbirth classes, outreach after delivery, and medical office assessment, counseling, and facilitation. The latter is an excellent way to "child-find", that is, connect with families who may feel vulnerable. Bonding-attachment assessments during pregnancy and early infancy provide information for intervention, referrals to therapeutic or supportive community programs, and for baseline data. Outcome data is gathered from assessments, video, and reports from parents and professionals. Principles of prenatal and infant mental health, sensory integration, child and family development, and family-centered care form the foundation of the program.

The potential benefits, borne out by research and clinical evidence, are numerous. The child improves physiologically, developmentally, and psychosocially. The caregiver shows respect by asking permission to touch then learns to offer gentle, appropriate touch in response to the child's capacity and willingness to accept it. Both caregiver and child multiply coping skills. The caregiver experiences concrete and fun ways to communicate and nurture. The self-esteem of the caregiver increases, as does their physical and emotional caregiving. This leads to mutually satisfying interaction, trust, bonding and attachment, and enhanced family life.

Gentle Touch®, then, is used in an experiential prenatal and parenting program during which positive family/caregiver-child communication and interaction is highlighted. It promotes the health and well-being of pregnant women and young children, is a child neglect/abuse prevention, and can be used as a therapeutic intervention in cases of potential or established risk.                                                   

The success of the Gentle Touch® Parent-Child Program lies in its holistic, experiential, and fun nature. Professionals in a variety of fields, who work in an intervention or supportive capacity with pregnant women and families with young children, appear delighted to have yet another way to truly help.

Ó 1993-2004, Gentle Touch Parent-Child Program, LLC

Emma Miller, D.Div., is the creator of and a trainer for the Gentle Touch® Parent-Child Program for pregnant women, infants, young children, and families. She is also the scriptwriter and co-producer of the Gentle Touch® Infant Massage Video. For more information about the video, caregiver-child services, or training, please e-mail Program@GentleTouchParent-Child.com. 

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