Foster Care Training

From the time of Sigmund Freud, body psychology has long been a diverse tradition of understanding and deepening the holistic application of mind-body principles and techniques to ameliorate mental health challenges. The wisdom of the body is such that it holds the memory of our past, our suffering and incomplete experiences, as well as the impulse to heal these said same pains. Wounded, however, an individual may often feel disconnected, disappointed, fearful and even distrustful of their body and the messages it conveys, drifting further towards seeking external means to navigate life’s stressors. Endemic in psychological forums is the axiom of “internal locus of control” as a barometer for mental health, yet “talk therapies” may often fail to fully integrate this concept into the multi-dimensional reality of the experience of the body.

Youth navigating the foster system have been exposed to adverse experiences (e.g. traumas, insecure attachments) that directly impact their body sense of self, their capacity to utilize their bodies as a resource and their ability to connect with a global felt sense of safety and ease in their bodies. In this workshop, participants will examine specific core principles of body psychotherapy as a healing art along with key specific portable techniques and interventions. Practice exercises and experientials, structured observations, reflective discussion, and multi-media presentation will be utilized in order to integrate and reinforce key concepts.

**Participants can utilize skills learned in the training by:

1. Reviewing the training materials with their supervisor the following week and identify one specific relevant principle and/or treatment application in order to augment and optimize standard of care for chosen cases.
2. Being equipped with appropriate resources (i.e.handouts) such as may be an ongoing reference (i.e. – that they may access to after the training) for supporting system-involved youth and their significant supports.