Foster Care Training

In this workshop participants will be exposed to the application of the Neurosequential Model of Therapeutics to play. Participants will have the opportunity to experience strategies designed to target disorganization and dysregulation in different regions of the brain. System Involved children and youth exposed to ongoing developmental trauma and stress are particularly at risk for significant issues in these domains. The Neurosequential Model of Therapeutics was developed by Bruce Perry and colleagues at the Child Trauma Academy in order to provide a neurobiologically informed, evidenced based approach to conceptualization and planning for traumatized children. Although originally conceptualized to help this population, it works well with children across the diagnostic spectrum. The model recognizes that trauma and other developmental experiences are fundamentally dysregulating and disorganizing to the developing brain. As a result matching strategies to brain disorganization and dysregulation has had a profound impact on outcomes. This has been a huge boon to the play community as play approaches and strategies are so heavily based in sensory experiences, relational approaches, and synchrony which is consistent with experiences that the brain finds regulating and organizing. There is a substantive body of research that demonstrates that the earlier the developmental trauma, the more profound the overall symptom presentation in children. This includes relational trauma and instability in caregiving experiences for children. Specific brain regions have been broadly identified to be responsible for particular areas of functioning. For example, dysregulation in the limbic system has been closely tied to difficulties with emotion regulation, reactivity to anger and fear cues, but also pleasure, reward, and learning. Dysregulation in specific brain regions are particularly responsive to modification utilizing the pleasure and reward system which is activated by experiences that are playful, fun, highly relational, and multisensory. Play approaches that involve sensory based play experiences, including models such as Theraplay, art, movement, and engage the senses are well suited to making a profound impact on improving self-regulation. Through these highly relational experiences children experience co-regulation with clinicians and their caregivers in a way that promotes wellness and improves their overall quality of life. Throughout the presentation the therapeutic powers of play are embraced. Play interventions presented are designed to both facilitate communication, but in particular, promote emotional wellness. These play strategies, within the context of a rich therapeutic relationship, are regulating, organizing, and fundamentally increase interpersonal strengths through co-regulation. It is within this experience of co-regulation that children become more self-regulated.