Every once in a while I feel compelled to clear up some “misinformation” ubiquitously shared. Today, the focus is understanding gaslighting. Gaslighting is when someone questions another’s perception of their reality. In the broadest terms, they try to tell you that...
Anxiety has outpaced depression as the number one mental illness in this country. But feeling anxious is not a mental illness. It’s an inevitability. Our goal, however, is to prevent anxiety disorders in children. How does anxiety shift from an emotion to a...
Yes, you do. If you want to prevent trauma, then you must promote relational health! When asked about trauma in children, Bruce Perry has said, “It isn’t about our history of adversity, it’s about our history of connectedness.” Turns out...
In this three-part series, “Mental Health with the Brain in Mind,” participants explore the brain reasons for behavior and the mind methods for preventing challenging behavior. Drawing from the field of Interpersonal Neurobiology, Laura shares 21st-Century...
When considering the role of mindfulness in mental health, it’s helpful to start with a definition. Mindfulness can be defined as being open and receptive to what “is” with non-judgement, loving-kindness, and compassion. For yourself. And others. How...
Adults are experiencing more stress than ever before. The demands placed upon us are manifold, and yet very little is provided to help build protective factors that build resilience and manage stress. Parents and Teachers tell me, “I can’t do anything...
Most parents and teachers ask for help managing children’s challenging behavior. This makes sense. Out of control behavior disrupts both the classroom and home environment. Such behavior might compromising both learning and overall well-being. With this, adults...
Stress. Burnout. Challenges. Overwhelm. Suffering from any of this? Mindfulness for children and adults offers simple strategies to use your mind to change your brain. The result? More balance, health, and well-being. Participants explore what mindfulness means for...
Most teachers have confidence in their ability to form relationships with the children or students in their classroom. When asked to articulate how they do so, however, can they describe the specifics of attuned interactions through contingent communication and how...
In this training, Laura emphasizes the importance of developing the child, not fixing! Why? Because when challenges arise, adults tend to shift into shame, blame, punish, and “fix” mode. It’s understandable. The behavior creates overwhelm for both...
What are Executive Function Skills? The ability to plan, initiate, organize, and carry out tasks while regulating emotions, focusing attention, controlling impulses, resolving conflicts, shifting gears when necessary and monitoring one’s efforts to do so. Wow. Quite...
Working with children presents challenges. Resources devoted to address these challenges tend to focus on strategies. But what about understanding the “why” behind the challenges? More specifically, why this challenges comes for this particular child. This...
