Reach Them While They Dream:
Deep Relaxation, Visualization and Didactics Can Collaborate to Teach Self Regulation and Social Skills to Kids
Using both didactics and experiential exercises, this workshop will explore ways in which increasing the ability to manage stress and to reason clearly in difficult situations can lower children’s anxiety, develop readiness for learning, and increasing self regulation efficacy and pro-social skills.
Recent research suggests that reducing stress and increasing a sense of wellbeing in children can result in healthier development of children’s brains, particularly in the frontal lobe on which their executive functioning relies.
Participants will be introduced to two five-step problem-solving models, and will learn approaches for teaching stress reduction and productive decision-making. Attention will be focused on the value of intuitive thinking as well as on the development of empathy.
Attention will be given to the efficacy of these techniques with children, adolescents, and their families, in individual therapy sessions, in groups, in the school environment, and in a diverse range of therapeutic settings.
Particular attention will be paid to the value of these techniques in teaching acceptance of personal and cultural differences. Participants will be given an opportunity to begin forming and developing models for using these techniques in their individual workplace settings.