Workshops

Align Psychology Parenting Workshops for 2019

All workshops are experiential in nature and provide a take home workbook of strategies to use with your family to help you all thrive, not just survive. These workshops are to assist parents/caregivers with children up to age 12.
Please phone for bookings as spaces are limited.

Building Better Brains series of four individual workshops $95pp, or $85pp for bookings of entire series.

Child Brain and Behaviour Tool kit for Parents/Caregivers

This workshop provides essential knowledge for caregivers on children’s brain development, engaging the whole brain, stages of cognitive growth, how early experiences effect behaviour, expectations for behaviour at different ages and practical strategies for managing these behaviours.  Working from a brain informed parenting approach demystifies your child’s behaviour and helps you discover better ways to connect and increase the fun and joy in parenting.

Suitable for any parents who want to equip themselves with the most up to date, evidenced-based strategies to help their children work through social, emotional and cognitive challenges.

Trauma Informed Parenting, Interventions and Supports

This workshop covers the effect of stress and trauma on the developing brain and behaviour and explains why sensory and creative interventions can be so powerful in aiding healing. Techniques such as music, drumming, dance and movement, drama, play therapy, writing, art therapy, somatic experiencing, sensory interventions, yoga, and mindfulness are covered.
This workshop will explore WHY and HOW trauma and adverse childhood (and birth) experiences can effect behaviour and provides lots of practical take home ideas and interventions that can help restore calm, safety and connection to your family.

All participants will receive a workbook filled with practical ideas and strategies to help assist children who may be struggling with issues such as aggression, anxiety, depression, regression, attachment difficulties, attentional deficits, and separation anxiety which often result from early stress and trauma experiences.

Creating a more mindful, happier home for your family

In this workshop we explore the WHAT, WHY and HOW of mindfulness for aiding behavioural, social and emotional concerns in children.

With lots of practical tips, exercises and techniques we explore:
– the power of breath to calm the nervous system
– how to settle a brain in meltdown mode
– building a family gratitude practice
– setting up a calm space in your home
– using guided meditation and mindful reflection activities to promote emotional self-regulation
– using physical movement, connection and creativity to shift the ‘immovability’ of stress, anxiety and anger.

Drawing upon decades of research in neurobiology, mindfulness, creativity and the brain, children’s yoga, and somatic experiencing, this workshop is suitable for caregivers looking for ways to restore connection, calm, and laughter in the family.

Building confidence and Resilience in Your Child

Everyone has the capacity for resilience. Building resilience is something we work on throughout our lives.  Resilience is the ability to steer through serious life challenges and find ways to bounce back and to thrive.  Resilience helps people live happier, healthier,
more successful lives and protects against depression and promotes stronger wellbeing mental health.

Children learn how to respond with resilience in the context of caring relationships and positive role models at home and in the community. Children build their resilience when they are given opportunities to learn skills and participate in meaningful activities at home and in their community.
In this workshop participants will learn about resilience and its importance for child development. Participants reflect on ways to be positive role models for their children and learn ways to boost their children’s ability to bounce back from life’s challenges and thrive.

Discipline while maintaining connection and attunement

Different parenting styles have been linked to a variety of specific developmental outcomes related to social and emotional well-being as well as academic achievement.  The core of the evidence based, Positive Discipline approach is that “there are no bad kids, just bad behaviour.”  All of the Positive Discipline tools are designed to help parents practically apply what is shown to be most beneficial for family relationships and child development. Positive Discipline Parenting focuses on improving family connection and reducing unwanted behaviours by:

  • Helping children feel a sense of belonging and significance.
  • Being kind and firm at the same time.
  • Being effective long term.
  • Teaching valuable social and life skills for good character, respect, concern for others, problem solving and cooperation.
  • Inviting children to discover their full capabilities and resilience, and how to use their power constructively to make better choices.

Create a calmer and happier household and eliminate problem behaviours long term in this transforming 7 week Positive Discipline Parenting course.  Run by a supportive and experienced educator with a 20 year background working with children and families – and juggling the ups and downs of her own parenting journey.