Public Events

Recent developments in neuroscience have expanded our capacity to be more effective in all areas of practice in child development. We now have remarkable insight into what the growing brain needs to thrive from infancy through adolescence and beyond. Drawing on neuroscientific insights, we can ‘neuro-nurture’ the developing child and dramatically influence the growth and development of the young brain to provide the foundations for a happy, successful life. As the need for neuroscientific knowledge amongst practitioners increases, its convergence with key approaches to attachment, trauma, and learning have seen watershed changes in how we understand and support optimal development, behaviour and social-emotional wellbeing. This opens the way for us to take a more compassionate, targeted and effective response when working with children and adolescents in any capacity. This dynamic workshop will translate neuroscience into powerful insights and practical strategies to support the holistic development of children and adolescents. 

Designed specifically for early childhood settings, this workshop is based on ‘Hey Warrior’ and Hey ‘Awesome’, the best-selling, highly-acclaimed children’s books which turn anxiety into an ally, and explore and explain anxiety through a neuroscientific, child-friendly lens. The workshop will provide early childhood educators with the practical strategies and information to support a class-based approach towards strengthening all children against anxiety, expanding their capacity for brave behaviour, and understanding more about the brain. Upon completion of the workshop, early childhood educators will have the information and practical tools to work with children on a group or individual level to strengthen them against anxiety, build their capacity to calm big feelings (including anxiety and anger) and move towards brave behaviour.

(This program has been approved by the Department of Education and Training Victoria for the School Readiness Funding Menu)

Designed specifically for early childhood settings, this workshop explores the recent developments in neuroscience that have given us remarkable insight into the conditions and experiences that can dramatically influence the growth and development of all young children in positive and enduring ways. Early childhood is a particularly critical time for the developing brain, and the early childhood environment is rich with the necessary experiences and relationships to support children in their development, behaviour, learning, and social and emotional well-being. The relationships and experiences children are exposed to in their earliest years, will influence the neural foundations upon which their growth and development is built. This dynamic workshop will explore these conditions, and ways early childhood professionals can translate this knowledge into practice to nurture the holistic development of all children. 

(This program has been approved by the Department of Education and Training Victoria for the School Readiness Funding Menu)

Recent developments in neuroscience have expanded our capacity to be more effective in all areas of practice in child development. We now have remarkable insight into what the growing brain needs to thrive from infancy through adolescence and beyond. Drawing on neuroscientific insights, we can ‘neuro-nurture’ the developing child and dramatically influence the growth and development of the young brain to provide the foundations for a happy, successful life. As the need for neuroscientific knowledge amongst practitioners increases, its convergence with key approaches to attachment, trauma, and learning have seen watershed changes in how we understand and support optimal development, behaviour and social-emotional wellbeing. This opens the way for us to take a more compassionate, targeted and effective response when working with children and adolescents in any capacity. This dynamic workshop will translate neuroscience into powerful insights and practical strategies to support the holistic development of children and adolescents. 

For as many as one in five young lives, anxiety is an intrusive part of everyday life, with the effects often stealing into families, classrooms and friendships. Anxiety can potentially undermine the way children see themselves, the world and their important place in it – but it doesn’t have to be this way. Anxiety is very manageable when it is recognised and responded to. This dynamic workshop will help participants to recognise anxiety in children and adolescents (5 – 18yrs). It will delve into the obvious and not so obvious signs of anxiety, discuss where they come from and why they exist, and offer a range of practical, powerful, research-driven interventions to assist participants to respond effectively within their own professional context.

Courage and resilience are vital qualities that help children adapt in the face of adversity and challenge, with their hearts, minds, and spirits intact. Both courage and resilience are qualities that can be cultivated in any child, and parents are in the perfect position to do this. This transformational session will explore how you can help build courage and resilience in your child.

As we emerge from the pandemic, stressors are heightened, and anxiety is an ever more common experience. We know from research that stress is “contagious” between adults and kids; therefore addressing the impacts of stress on ourselves is intertwined with our capacity to support the young people in our care. How can we help ourselves and our children to develop a foundation of security and calmness to prevail through the effects of this storm? 

I’ll be joining with Dr Marc Brackett and Dr Farah Shroff, as we explore the role of emotion regulation and the function of anxiety in our lives. Participants will learn ways to help express and regulate their own, and their children’s, emotions, even when our world may feel a little scary and stressful. Panelists will also share practical and holistic strategies that can be most effective in fostering well-being for both ourselves and children. 

In this webinar which will be hosted by The Dalai Lama Center for Peace and Education, you will have the opportunity to glean creative, evidence-informed takeaways to help you and the children in your care build resilience and foster a sense of security and calmness. Join us for this 1 ½ hour session, including a dynamic Q&A period.

The SCCR Online Conference 2021 is a wonderful initiative which will be exploring ’The Power of Reconnection’. More than ever, relationships matter. They heal, provide a buffer against stress, and make the world feel a little softer and safer for our young people. Building meaningful connections can take time, and even the strongest relationships can feel the effects of disconnection from time to time. As part of this free webinar, we will explore the power of attachment relationships, and ways to build relationships the the children and teens in your life that protect, strengthen, and heal. 

The conference will be at:

AEST time: 11 October, 7pm-8pm

Scotland time: 11 October, 10am-11am

Parents don’t cause anxiety, but they can make the most profound difference in moving children from anxious to brave. The move through anxiety isn’t an easy one, for children or the adults who love them, but it is certainly possible. Like so many good things, sometimes the way through is clearer and easier with a little help – enter ‘Anxious to Brave‘, a series of eight weekly live online 60-90 workshops for parents of kids and teens with anxiety. Throughout the course of the program, I’ll be guiding parents through research-backed information and strategies to help strengthen children and teens against anxiety and move them towards brave behaviour. If you can’t make it to every session, not to worry – the workshops will be recorded and available to registered participants for a short while after the event. Groups will be kept small, to keep interaction big.

In this webinar, I’ll be teaming up with Michelle Mitchell to equip parents, carers and professionals with strategies to help stay connected to tweens and teens, and build positive influence during the most challenging of moments. We’ll explore why all tweens and teens will push the boundaries at some point, why they might make risky decisions or break the rules, and how to respond in ways that strengthen them and preserve your connection. With some very specific strategies and solid information, those tricky teen years can be much easier. If you can’t make the date, not to worry – the webinar will be recorded and made available for you to watch any time.

Anxiety is the most common child and adolescent mental health concern. Anxiety is a very normal human response, but for as many as 1 in 5 young people in New Zealand the symptoms become so intrusive so as to interfere with day to day living. The effects can ripple from children, to their families, to the classroom, and into friendships. Anxiety can potentially undermine the way children see themselves, the world and their important place in it – but it doesn’t have to be this way. With the right support, children can be empowered with the skills and knowledge to manage anxiety and move forward with courage and resilience. 
This dynamic workshop will help participants to recognise and respond to anxiety in children and adolescents. It will delve into the obvious and not so obvious signs of anxiety, discuss where they come from, why they exist and offer a range of practical, powerful interventions to assist participants to respond effectively within their own professional context. It will also explore how to work with parents and carers in ways that strip shame and guilt, and unlock their capacity to move their children through anxiety and towards brave behaviour.

Anxiety is the most common child and adolescent mental health concern. Anxiety is a very normal human response, but for as many as 1 in 5 young people in New Zealand the symptoms become so intrusive so as to interfere with day to day living. The effects can ripple from children, to their families, to the classroom, and into friendships. Anxiety can potentially undermine the way children see themselves, the world and their important place in it – but it doesn’t have to be this way. When recognised and properly managed, anxiety is very treatable. With the right support, children can be empowered with the skills and knowledge to manage anxiety and move forward with courage and resilience. 
This dynamic workshop will help participants to recognise and respond to anxiety in children and adolescents. It will delve into the obvious and not so obvious signs of anxiety, discuss where they come from, why they exist and offer a range of practical, powerful interventions to assist participants to respond effectively within their own professional context.

As much as school can nurture, nourish and build children and adolescents, the very nature of school means that it can also be abundant with anxiety triggers that can significantly compromise their growth and development. Anxiety can be fuelled by anything unfamiliar or any situation that comes with the potential for embarrassment, failure, humiliation, shame, or separation – and school is ripe with all of them. School presents many children with some of the greatest challenges to their mental health, but it also presents some of the greatest opportunities to strengthen against anxiety. 

This workshop is for any professional who works with or within the education system, or with children or adolescents struggling with anxiety at school. Participants will learn practical strategies to effectively respond to children and teens with anxiety, as well as ways to capture the powerful buffering role school can play in strengthening all young people against anxiety at school and beyond. 

(At this stage, this event will be live-streamed to the event because of COVID-19 travel restrictions.)

Scottish Centre for Conflict Resolution International Online Conference.

Cyrenians Scottish Centre for Conflict Resolution are holding an all-digital festival of events in place of their annual conference. This exciting programme includes several internationally-renowned special guests. SCCR have made this available for free, and you are welcome to sign up to as many as you wish. I will be speaking on 15 October from 10:00-10:30am (Brisbane time) about ways parents and other important adults can strengthen the relationship, connection, and influence with their tweens and teens. The 30 minute presentation will be followed by a Q&A with the audience.

Join me for this Facebook Live event where I’ll be speaking with Renee Jain and Dr Shefali Tsabary about anxiety, courage and resilience.

As much as school can nurture, nourish and build children and adolescents, the very nature of school means that it can also be abundant with anxiety triggers that can significantly compromise their growth and development. Anxiety can be fuelled by anything unfamiliar or any situation that comes with the potential for failure, shame, embarrassment, humiliation, or separation from a loved one – and school is ripe with all of them. School presents many children with some of the greatest challenges to their mental health, but it also presents some of the greatest opportunities to strengthen against anxiety. This workshop is for any professional who works with or within the education system, or with children or adolescents struggling with anxiety at school. Participants will learn practical strategies to effectively respond to children and teens with anxiety, as well as ways to capture the powerful buffering role school can play in strengthening all young people against anxiety at school and beyond.

Self-control – what every parent/carer needs to know about this essential skill, including why it matters, how it impacts a child’s behaviour and how we can best support our children now and into their future.

What could our children do if they truly believed they were brave? In this transformational, heartfelt event, Karen Young and Michelle Mitchell come together to equip parents, carers and professionals with powerful strategies to help children and teens build resilience, thrive through anxiety and reach their potential. We will explore:

• the powerful role that caring adults play in building brave;
• a new way of understanding the role of anxiety and resilience in your child’s life;
• the often unrecognised and different ways anxiety can manifest in children;
• the impact of anxiety on friendships and school work;
• proven, practical ways to respond to anxiety and make way for calm and courage;
• how to build social resilience and equip them for the challenges of life;
• how to strengthen your connection and influence.

You know your child is capable of greatness. With some very specific strategies and solid information, we can make sure they know it too.

If you would like BUILDING BRAVE to come to your school or community, please let us know. We will be touring nationally with this new project.

This transformational session will provide parents and carers with the essential information and strategies to support their children and teens to build courage and resilience, uncovering their strengths, and take anxiety back to small enough.

During adolescence, the brain goes through a massive ‘renovation’. This talk is for anyone who lives or works with adolescents, and will explores changes that happen in the adolescent brain and how these influence relationships, friendships, and behaviour.