In this interactive talk, Merritt replicates the Safe Place experiment from his book, I Take My Coffee Black. Working closely with organizations, he brings together individuals from varying political, racial, ethnic, and religious backgrounds to participate in face-to-face discussions about hot-button topics to encourage healthy and safe – and sometimes even humorous – dialogue. By…

Please join us for a webinar with Breanna Gronli. We will explore all ten ACES in depth along with the effects trauma can have on the body, mind, and spirit. Breanna will present ways to aid the body in releasing stored trauma to counter the effects. Breanna Gronli, LGSW, MSW works with Sojourn Counseling Group. As…

As an experienced estate planning attorney and foster/adoptive father, Chris knows the pressures that working families face. And the added challenges of working with the foster system, government systems, and the chaotic day-to-day of being a parent. Planning for the future feels impossible when you can barely plan for dinner tonight. Chris shares, "I can help,…

Developing children's self-regulation in the context of relationships: Theory, research, and practical strategies. The ability to regulate thoughts, feelings, and behaviors is the cornerstone for healthy development. Trauma exposure can have a cascading effect on regulatory pathways. Research shows that caregivers can buffer these effects. This session will introduce research on the development of self-regulation…

Relationships Heal: Evidence Based Mental Health Services for Young Children and Caregivers. This workshop will help audience members understand key principles of infant and early childhood mental health. We will also explore the importance of early intervention services that simultaneously support the developmental needs of young children, their primary caregivers, and their relationship(s) with one…

Chronic stress, feelings of helplessness, and isolation affect caregivers' ability to give quality care to their children. When you add the pressure of being the healthy attachment figure for a child who has experienced early-life trauma, the emotional demands can be overwhelming. Caregivers can easily slide into their own survival behavior and struggle to give…

Have you ever wanted to put the pieces of your life together? Not just to look where you have come from but to help yourself move forward? What about helping a child you care about put those pieces together? Lifebooks can help children who have been in foster care and those who have experienced adoption.…

Research has shown that parental involvement in childhood anxiety treatments is often a necessary condition for positive treatment response.  In fact, some research shows that younger children with anxiety (i.e., ages 3-8) who participate in an individual psychotherapy model that does not include parents fare no better than those in the waitlist/control group.  In recent…

When our sensory systems are overloaded or under stimulated it can be so hard to live life with ease and joy. But we're not just talking about the 5 senses here! Mya will help you understand what sensory processing is, what the signs are to indicate when our kids need support, and how we can…

This 3-part workshop is designed for adoption agencies (staff and families), child-welfare organizations and conferences. Transracial caregiving is a multifaceted journey for the entire family, but it is often the child who bears the brunt of navigating the complexity of the experience. It is critical that caregivers and parents understand the history of why children…