Fun Games and Physical Activities to Help Heal Children Who Hurt: Get on Your Feet!
Learn the therapeutic value behind the games and activities in Beth’s recently published book. Play and experience activities from the book that are designed to build the bodies, brains and bonds of the hurting children you are helping to heal.
Little Angel on My Shoulder: Helping Good Children Make God Choices
It’s hard for traumatized children to internalize the goodness and safety of God, when they may have had too many experiences to the contrary. Caregivers need as many tools as they can get to help kids replace fear-based brain templates with love, safety, and security. This workshop is parent-child attended and children are assisted by their parents in learning and practicing how to identify and defeat the enemy in their minds (the little devil on one shoulder). Through specially designed cognitive restructuring writing and drawing techniques, children identify and squelch the little devil on one shoulder and strengthen the little angel on the other (How God sees them). More resiliency is created as a result so that trauma resolution occurs faster.
Feel the Beat: The Impact of Rhythm on the Brain
The cerebellum may be the brain’s mother board. Of all the structures of the brain, its architecture most closely resembles that of a computer. Research indicates that the development of the cerebellum is dependent on consistent body practice of rhythmic movement. Sedentary TV watching, cell phone playing and computer gaming are in opposition to this development. The more advanced our technology becomes, the more dysrhythmic our society, brains, bodies and relationships become. Because the cerebellum is likely responsible for the coordination of our social behavior and for the coordination of movement across our brain functions, then a better-functioning cerebellum may be a key to the habilitation of Autism, ADHD, Bipolar Disorder, fetal alcohol and drug effects and many other brain-related issues and injuries. Join us in this fun, informative and interactive workshop as we practice playing our way to optimal brain and relationship health.
Understanding Traumatized Children
Too many children have experienced pre and post birth neglect and abuse and chronic stress. They may receive diagnoses like ADHD, PDD, and Bipolar Disorder, and may unfortunately come to the adopting, foster or relative/kinship placement on a multitude of psychotropic medications. None of which seem to be doing much good. These children may have undiagnosed sensory processing problems and the lower brain terror that they experience may be conveyed through destructive rages or oppositional defiance that may even mimic Attachment Disorder. Learn more about this prevalent problem and what to do to help children from hurt places from one who not only survived the experience of childhood abuse but who is thriving and teaching others how to overcome their own “hard” place of family origin.
Making Cheap and Fun Neuro-Developmental Games, Toys, and Activities
Why, when I was a child, we didn’t go and buy toys and games, we made them! We had fun; we utilized our creativity, we shared our creations with friends and we were proud of ourselves for our accomplishments. And…we improved our brains in the process. Who would ever have thought that marble-shooting games, Pick up Sticks, Tiddley Winks, Hop Scotch, chewing gum wrapper necklaces and Jacks, yes, Jacks could improve our hand-eye coordination, motor planning, differentiation, fine motor skills and sense of proprioception? Come and create! Share some of your own home-made creations that build the brain and better the bonds. Bring your family with you!!
Is This Child a Can’t, a Won’t or a Both?
Neurologically challenged children can present with difficult oppositional defiant behaviors as can attachment-challenged children. When is the unpleasant behavior an issue of control (won’t do it), when is it a result of neurological impairment (can’t help it) and when is it a combination of the two? Learn some of the ways to help the brain and the attitude repair itself through this presentation of easy-to-learn, effective, common-sense interventions that caregivers are trained to utilize at home.
Therapeutic Mediation
Tired of children arguing and had all you can take of the “He said, She said?” Had enough of playing the judge and jury? Would you like to find another way to successfully teach a child there really are consequences to hurting others? Want to provide more opportunities for children to learn good morals and values? Wouldn’t it be nice to train a passive child out of being everyone’s victim? Mediation is a cost-effective and time-efficient home treatment tool to help manage stress, resolve interpersonal conflict, teach cause-effect thinking, communication, and build successful future adults. Learn the basic framework as well as the best situations to utilize family mediation and restitutional (victim-offender) mediation in your home to help create children who are stronger in spirit, more responsible, empathic and altruistic.
Prayer Mapping: Using Pictures to Lift Our Children Up in Prayer
Children who believe they are unlovable tend to act that way. A prayer map is a powerful, visual way to help change “stinking thinking” so that children can begin to see themselves as God already does. Children who are developmentally able to stay focused on a cutting and pasting activity with their parents are welcome to join this adult-led activity.