Foster Care Training

Many youth and adolescents, especially those navigating overwhelming experiences and attachment ruptures common in the foster care system, by default, struggle with the aftermath of traumatic symptomology. As a result of abuse, neglect and other pain narratives that place them at increased vulnerability for engaging in self-harming, addictive cycles, and other disordered behaviors to cope and self-soothe, numb and dissociate from unresolved pain.

As we de-pathologize these behaviors and view them through a strengths-based lens, participants will learn about a specific “cycle of self-harm” which emphasizes the impact and influence of triggering events, negative cognitions and affect, dissociation, and anxiety on self-harming behaviors. A variety of right-brain and left-brain based treatment strategies will be offered to help mitigate and eventually extinguish these behaviors. An emphasis will be placed on interventions that are designed to increase insight, strengthen internal safety, promote grounding and containment, reduce dissociation and help clients self-soothe in healthier and more adaptive ways. Participants will explore the idea of “working with” self-destructive and self-harming behaviors by de-coding their meta-communication while learning how to avoid the power struggles and increased self-harm that often accompanies ineffective “safety contracts.” Participants are invited to involve themselves in reflective case discussion, structured observations, exercises, and/or multi-media presentation.