FRIDAY
SATURDAY
BREAKOUT SESSIONS
What is Trauma and how does it impact our kiddos? We will spend time understanding trauma, its impact, and how the TBRI® strategies help us deal with behaviors and create an environment of connection and safety.What is attachment and why is it important? This talk will discuss what disorganized attachment in kids who have experienced trauma looks like, and how we can help our children heal.So often we’re focused on the significant needs of the children who join our families through foster care and adoption. We may hope the other children are doing well when they actually need our support more than ever. Listen in as Lisa Qualls interviews her young adult child about her experience of having four siblings join the family through adoption.In order to support our kiddos well, we need to understand their experience. In this session, you will hear firsthand accounts from the voices of adopted and foster persons, as they take a deep dive into issues such as identity, grief and loss, and more. You will be both challenged and encouraged.Sometimes talk therapy isn’t enough or … your teen might refuse to go! So here you will find some simple lifestyle changes you can try at home. Using principles from TBRI & Integrative Medicine, this workshop will share practical strategies to help set up your bigger kids for success at home and in the community.Rest is often tough to find for those of us parenting kids from hard places. Whether you are looking for sleep strategies for your children, teens or yourself, this workshop will help you understand the impact of sleep (or the lack of it) while you discover some fresh ideas you may not have tried yet.This workshop will give an introduction and overview of the Enneagram model of personality. We will cover the 9 different Enneagram types, including the core needs of each type. Then, we will discuss how the Enneagram can help us better understand ourselves, our spouses, and our children.Our kids are doing the best they can to meet their needs. Technology can easily become the tool they use to self-soothe, distract, or numb. This session focuses on helping our kids skillfully meet their needs rather than get stuck on technology.Our kids need to learn how to responsibly own a phone and as parents we have a responsibility to protect them. This session explores how to manage the phones features and applications to help your kids learn responsibility while also maintaining child safety.The discipleship needs of adopted & foster children and teenagers are unique. Why? Because these kids have experienced trauma and trauma affects our beliefs – especially about God, faith and The Gospel. Let’s identify the Biblical words and Gospel concepts that might be barriers, so that we can confidently share the good news of Jesus Christ to these children and teenagers.Positive, healthy humor has a way of endearing ourselves to a person – and it’s no different with the adopted & foster children and teens that we live with and work with. While we always want to avoid sarcasm and cynicism with them, humor can be a huge connecting tool as we seek to develop healthy relationships with our kids.Kids need connection in order to thrive. However, many foster and adoptive children have had their ability to accept love and support disrupted by trauma. Learn how you can begin to use the inherent trust-based power of cooking and eating together with your child to help them overcome the negative effects of trauma and build healthy, healing connections.
Foster care is about more than just taking care of a child, it’s about playing a part in the healing of a family. This breakout will address the foster parent’s role in building, strengthening, and repairing relationships with biological families.
This breakout will explore the importance of biblically informed self care. Topics include the risk of secondary trauma and burnout for foster and adoptive parents, a Biblical foundation for self care, creating space for self care in a busy family, and practical ideas for foster and adoptive parents to build actual self care into their lives.
Is there a wall growing between you and your child and does your heart feel trampled? When our children experience early adversity, it activates a premature defense mechanism that may put them in a chronic state of survival. This results in something called blocked trust. As a result, some children do not respond to the efforts of caregiving. You may begin to feel ineffective and experience a sense of apathy called blocked care. Join Lisa Qualls to learn the brain science behind your feelings, overcome feelings of shame and guilt, and gain motivation to continue to pursue a relationship with your child.
We know that sometimes all the education in the world is not going to change your current situation and you just need a safe place to be fully supported by others in a similar journey. Come join us for this support group experience. You are not alone.
What’s the best age to tell children they are adopted? How many details do I share? How do I respond to that rude comment from others? A family tree project? Let’s face it. Our children did not come with manuals on how to tell them, not to mention others, their stories. This breakout is full of ideas to bridge the communication gap.
In this workshop we will explore the role of conscious language and the power it has over healing trauma. We will also explore the role toxins play in the body and how they might be prohibiting the healing process. You will learn simple ways to incorporate life giving words and behaviors into your family to help create safety and disarm fear.
We all make mistakes and say and do things that hurt our relationships with others. This could be a spouse, coworkers, friends, or a child. How we handle these relationship “ruptures” is crucial to sustaining healthy and supportive relationships. Unfortunately, it doesn’t always come easy. Our kids see us make mistakes and we are modeling how to handle things when we mess up. Although we wish it never happened, times like these can be very valuable teachable moments and can ultimately even make the relationship stronger.
The greatest times of conflict in relationships often arise when one person’s history intersects with another person’s history. Parenting is no different. Some of the toughest moments in parenting occur when my child’s history and beliefs collide with my history, motivations, and expectations.