Connecting Parents & Children

Professional Training Seminars

Sand Story Psychology Services is pleased to offer training opportunities for conferences, in-house training, professional development days, and stand alone workshops. The following is a list of some specific training opportunities that are available from Dr. Deborah Bell. Each training opportunity is intended to support professionals in building on their knowledge about mental health in the early years, as well as adding to their existing skill-set in terms of supporting young children and adolescents who struggle with mental health issues. Professionals that would benefit from these training seminars include anyone working with children and adolescents (consultants, childcare providers, teachers, therapists, and others). A variety of presentation tools are used to make each seminar easy to follow, enjoyable, and ultimately informative, including lecture type speaking, interactive exercises, discussion, Q&A periods, and video clips of relevant material.

While this listing of opportunities provides a sense of the topics we typically present on, it is by no means exhaustive. We have presented on many other topics in the past and we are happy to work with individual groups in tailoring learning curriculum to your specific needs. Some examples of other topics that have been proposed in recent months include how to talk with and support parents around the sensitive topic of mental health, and strategies for advocating for young children struggling with mental health challenges.
In addition, we are pleased to be able to a wide range of courses developed by Gordon Neufeld which are excellent for care providers and teachers, as well as parents. Please see the Parenting Courses section of this website for further descriptions of these courses.
For additional information about training opportunities or to discuss seminar fees, please contact us at:
Sand Story Psychology Services?
Phone: 604-568-8108? Email: info@sandstory.ca

Entering the World of the Child: Understanding Attachment

This workshop is directed towards caregivers and parents who want a deeper understanding of children, how they think, and what makes them feel connected and thus, content. Workshop participants will learn about the theory of attachment and its developmental progression, why attachment is important, and how to support healthy attachments. Warning signs of a breach in the attachment relationship will be explored, as well as how to nurture a deeper and more fulfilling attachment with a child that benefits both child and caregiver. This is a pivotal piece of raising children or caring for children that can help care providers and educators feel more confident and settled in their caregiving roles.

Entering the World of the Child: The Importance of Play

This workshop is directed towards any professionals who work with young children and interact with them during play. This may include Childcare Providers; Early Childhood Educators; etc. Workshop participants will learn about the developmental progression of play, why play is important, and how to support healthy play. The way children play can also be an early indicator of problems in a young person's life. Early warning signs that may indicate the need for a referral will be reviewed. Participants will have a chance to experience some play exercises, so come prepared for fun!

Beyond Time Out: Parenting through Connection

In today's parenting world it can be easy to get lost in the "age of reason." Parents find themselves endlessly trying to reason with children who are too young to care the reasons. This is a frustrating endeavour: the parent gets pulled into pulled into the power struggle of reason and experiencing non-compliance in their child. Parenting through connection brings parents back to the heart of parenting-- the love and connection, or attachment, that exits between parent and child. This workshop discusses how to hold your child close while re-directing and side stepping the power struggles; and how to parent with sensitivity to developmental age and stage. This workshop is also applicable to those in in caregiving roles.

The Behaviour Storm: Nurturing responses to behavioural challenges

This workshop is for any parent or caregiver who experience behavioural challenges with their children. From temper tantrums to aggressive behaviour, parenting or caregiving comes with many roadblocks that can be difficult to navigate. The Behaviour Storm examines where challenging behaviour comes from with a goal of increased understanding. The more a parent or caregiver understands the meaning of these behaviours, the easier it is to cope with the behaviour. This workshop will look at many types of childhood behaviour and offer nurturing solutions to each one.

What to do with Worry Worms: Recognizing Anxiety in Children

Anxiety is the most common mental health diagnosis in children with 20% of children in BC ending up diagnosed with some kind of anxiety disorder. Typically we can recognize early signs of anxiety in young children that go above and beyond shyness or temperament. However, sometimes these Worry Worms can wriggle in when you least expect it or they can suddenly grow bigger so that they begin to get in the child's way where they did not before. This workshop teaches parents and/or caregivers about anxiety: the symptoms, where it comes from and how to support children showing the early signs of anxiety.