Comfort Zone

Comfort Zone is so simple and versatile it can be used very broadly. It was originally designed for parents to help them bond with their babies. However, it can also be used to help pretty much anyone feel better – children and adults alike can use it to help with their own emotions and their relationships with others.

Training packages are available for professionals and businesses so they can use it to help their clients feel and relate better.

• Comfort Zone is a simple, visual guide to helping make emotions and relationships happier by ‘tuning- in’ to them
• It is informed by robust psychological theory translated it into useful, practical strategies for success
• It provides a simple structure to discuss, monitor and if necessary change emotions and relationships for the better

• Comfort Zone is based on Attachment Theory developed over 50 years ago by John Bowlby
• It states that having a secure attachment or bond is the basis for a child’s health and happiness
• This is theory is now well evidenced and endorsed by scientists, politicians and parents!

• Initially it was designed to help parents bond with their baby however it was soon realised that the same tuning-in skills could be much more widely applied
• As it has developed, as well as its use by parents, it is now also used in health, education and social care settings
• It can be used on an individual or group basis and is user friendly, non-threatening and non-stigmatising

• It was originally designed to help develop secure attachments or bonds
• It has also be used to help people manage their mood and stress levels
• It can be used to strengthen and develop most relationships

• Parents and anyone trying to bond with a baby or child: grandparents, foster carers, adopters
• Adults and children interested in managing their mood and stress levels, including staff working with them
• Anyone wanting to improve a relationship with partners, family members, colleagues including staff working with them

Comfort Zone has been piloted, peer reviewed, published and presented at the following conferences:

• Northern Association of Infant Mental Health December 2013
• World Association of Infant Mental Health June 2014
• Marce Society September 2014
• British Psychological Society Division of Clinical Psychology December 2014

What parents say

Comfort Zone has been used by parents some of their comments are:

“It helps me understand how to keep the kids happy.”

—Joanne, Blyth

“I wish I’d had it ”

—Ryan, Ashington

“Learning about the Comfort Zone chart has been really useful.”

—Jess, Middlesbrough

What colleagues say

Many Health Visitors, Social Workers, Family Support Workers, Teachers and Nursery Staff have been trained to use Comfort Zone. Some of their feedback has been:

“I was hugely impressed with the whole concept of ‘Comfort Zone’ I am keen to use what I have learned today.”

—Health Visitor, Newcastle

“I now have a better understanding of children’s behaviour and how it is influenced by early attachment.”

—Social Worker, Liverpool

“I enjoyed the training and feel very positive about introducing ‘Comfort Zone’ as an intervention in school.”

—Teacher, Ashington

Comfort Zone has also been used in many third sector services. For example:

• In a service for teenage dads the staff said the young men used it and liked it.
• In a learning disability service it helped to inform parents about attachment.
• It has also been used by staff in prisons to help educate about relationships.

For more information about Comfort Zone please contact me.

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