Loving Them is Not Enough: What Every Parent Should Know

Presenter: Crystal Krueger, LMFT, CCTS-F

Families with adoptive and foster children sometimes struggle to understand and support the children because these children react differently than biological children and the problem behaviors they exhibit do not fit the experience of the fostering or adopting parents. Many children that desperately need to experience safety, connection, and strong cohesive relationships struggle with behaviors that make those things difficult to achieve. Many have experienced significant trauma prior to their current foster placement that has created adaptive behaviors that were protective in nature in the child’s past but that are now seen as intentionally provocative and willful behaviors.

This training will help participants understand why many of these children may view and react to people and events in ways that may seem unusual, exaggerated, or irrational. Recent advances in developmental science are revealing how significant adversity in childhood alters both the way the genome is expressed and the developing brain is wired and this training is designed to help the participant not only understand the function of the problematic behaviors, but how to begin helping the child and the parents achieve the connection that will help the child heal.

Learning Objectives:

1. Define and recognize the various causes of trauma

2. Explain the basic neurobiology of trauma

3. Identify the Levels of Safety

4. Understand the function of problematic behaviors

5. Identify Negative Belief Systems and ways to increase attachment and connection

6. Establish key resiliency factors

7. Differentiate toxic environment types

8. Recognize the link between environment, interactions, and stress

9. Identify the Neurosequential model and various connecting strategies

10. Implement connecting strategies to manage behavior

This course is not available for NBCC credit.