Workshop 1: The Forgotten Known

This full-day workshop is designed to assist counsellors, social workers, psychologists and community workers to develop a better understanding of children and families with traumatic histories and to enhance their skills in working with these families.
This workshop will enable participants to:

• Have a refreshed knowledge of the concepts of trauma and attachment theory and the impact on behaviour and relationships
• Have an enhanced understanding of the motivations of behaviour
• Be able to identify ways of facilitating positive attachment in client families
• Develop an enhanced understanding of attachment behaviour apparent in worker/client relationships and the implications for their work together

Filled with practice-based practical examples, the interventions and concepts introduced in the workshop will be discussed and illustrated with the use of an informal interactive lecture, video clips and brief experiential exercises. Extensive notes are available.

Participant’s Comments

‘As far as I am aware, no-one else is providing this sort of training. If Narelle and Susan could be cloned, and their work duplicated throughout the state, we might have a chance at addressing this vital and under-resourced issue.’
‘This course not only provided the vital theoretical links between neurology, behaviour and emotional state, it provided practical, hands on information to successfully address problem behaviours we see as a consequence of attachment issues.’

Workshop 2: The Forgotten Known

Attachment Theory in Practice for Teachers

This full day workshop is designed as an introductory course to assist teachers and guidance counsellors to develop a better understanding of how early attachment experiences impact on a child’s capacity to learn. It offers an alternative way to think about and work with children’s disruptive, troubling behaviours which if implemented can lead to changes in children’s behaviour, a calmer classroom and schoolground environment and improved learning outcomes.

This workshop will enable participants to:

• Understand attachment theory and its day to day implications for children’s behaviour
• Understand the effect of attachment behaviours on all relationships
• Link attachment theory to the learning experiences
• Identify ways in which the school can operate as a child’s secure base
• Identify ways to assist children to move from reacting to reflecting

At the completion of the workshop you will have an increased understanding of the impact of attachment history on children and their capacity to be fully engaged with the learning
process. The workshop content was developed with a focus on attachment theory and draws on teachings from the Circle of Security, Dan Siegel, Child Trauma Centre as well as our own many years of experience working with this client group.

Workshop 3: Assessment – from an Attachment Focus

This half day workshop is designed specifically for professionals who are assessing prospective families for adoption and foster care. Based on the concepts of attachment theory this workshop offers a theoretical approach as well as specific practical skills in assessing families to provide care for challenging children.

The workshop includes:

• Essential issues required in training and the homestudy process
• Using the assessment process to identify challenges and strengths in parents
• Identifying different attachment patterns in prospective parents
• How to avoid missing essential details
• Developing an understanding of positive traits in healthy families

At the completion of the workshop you will have an increased awareness of the different attachment patterns in adults and developed the skills to identify these patterns, as well as an understanding of the impact for children placed in their care. Development of these skills assist in ensuring appropriate placements are made, reduces the risk of disruption and dissolution and ensures that limited resources are not drained by supporting challenging placements.