TLC Training Descriptions
TLC offers courses designed to enable schools, crisis teams, child and family counselors, and private practitioners to help traumatized children and families. TLC’s protocols and interventions are based on the Structured Sensory Interventions for Traumatized Children, Adolescents and Parents (SITCAP™) model and focus on stabilizing the crisis/trauma experience. This model can be successfully applied to diverse cultures within varied settings. These interventions are used in school and clinical settings across the country. Because the primary strategies focus on alleviating the fear and terror of the crisis and/or trauma experience, TLC strategies are adaptable across populations and with violent as well as non-violent induced trauma.
TLC Trainings Available
Adolescent Grief
Adolescents are not supposed to experience death. Although it should never happen, the harsh reality is that it does, and when it does, it is a terrible shock for the adolescent. This course will help you, as the caring adult, be a guide through this troubling time by helping you understand what the adolescent is going through and giving you comprehensive techniques to address the situation. This is a time when a caring, unassuming adult can make a positive difference in a young person by fostering growth and maturity. Click for session objectives. Also available online.
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After the Crisis: Traumatic Event Crisis Intervention Plans (TECIP)
This course introduces “After the Crisis” management protocols that offer building crisis response teams a proven structure to stabilize the aftermath situation, mobilize resources, accelerate normalization of routine, minimize the adverse impact on student achievement (by restoring adaptive functioning) and facilitate access to more help for the most seriously impacted students and staff. The format of this course will include lecture, demonstrations, small and large group discussion and practice. The goal is to provide participants with a proactive set of protocols and materials (Traumatic Event Crisis Intervention Plan - TECIP) that can be readily implemented following exposure, either directly or indirectly, to a traumatic event, Rapid Response Assessment Guide and Survivor Interview.
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Art, Play, Drama, Music & Bibliotherapy with Traumatized Children
This comprehensive course teaches a wide range of creative interventions for working with traumatized children. The teacher, Cathy Malchiodi, is an internationally renowned speaker and author with over 25 years of experience as an art therapist. She has worked with survivors of traumatic experiences, including domestic violence, physical and sexual abuse, disaster and serious or life threatening illness. In this course she demonstrates sensory-based techniques that significantly enhance trauma therapy by providing children the opportunity to express their trauma experience through multiple creative approaches. Also available online.
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Being a Certain Parent in an Uncertain Time
As parents, we discover very quickly there is much to learn. When our child experiences events that are unlike anything typical, we also discover there is much to learn, except differently. Life today is not only difficult but, because of all the uncertainties, quite challenging. Traumatic deaths, traumatic events beyond our control, war and multiple deployments, financial instability, Internet predators and so much more today, can leave any parent at a loss as to how to raise their children. This presentation will discuss meeting parent needs, the code children use to get their needs met, what works and what doesn’t and what parents can say when their child asks difficult questions.
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Children Exposed to Family Violence
This course will focus on therapeutic intervention techniques proven to be effective in working individually or with groups of children traumatized by family violence. Trauma-specific, cognitive-behavioral therapy along with appropriate, evidenced-based assessment tools will be highlighted for accurate diagnosis, monitoring of case progression and court presentation. Case examples will include children who have survived domestic homicide-suicide incidents. Lastly, as a result of intervening with children exposed to domestic violence frequently divorce and custody issues arise and often the batterer has the means and presentation as being the more suitable parent. The concept of “trauma bonding,” its impact on the children and advocating for the emotional needs of the children to the court will be included in this presentation.
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Children of Trauma
This is the first of three TLC core courses that will lay the foundation to help you understand the differences between grief and trauma and to see trauma as an experience rather than a diagnostic category. Learn how to become a “witness” to a child’s traumatic experience to best appreciate the intensity of the experience and the needs of the child; to see what he now sees as he looks at himself and the world around him. Video-taped interviews will demonstrate how TLC’s evidence-based, structured sensory intervention process brings children relief from the terror of their traumatic experiences. This structured process is used in schools and agencies across the country and has been proven, via research, to reduce trauma-specific reactions across all three major sub-categories. Session objectives.
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Clear Vision 1
The Clear Vision online course will guide you through journaling about burnout and compassion fatigue. This course presents simple and profound writing exercises that will help you find the resiliency that resides within. Some exercises just might work with your clients too! Your journal will be in a format that you can easily refer to long after the course is completed. We hope you will find renewable strategies that give you “aha” moments and relief from emotional stress.
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Confronting Death in the School Family
The death of a student or staff member can devastate a school and its surrounding community. Often these tragedies occur with little or no warning, which means school administration are left with little or no time to come to terms with the tragedy before they are forced to make decisions that affect the entire community. If you have ever experienced such a crisis, then you know just how painful and difficult this can be.This course is based on the belief that the people best equipped to deal with a tragedy in the school are the school’s very own teachers, counselors, administrators and staff. When tragedy strikes a school family, many school administrators look upon the incident as a “guidance department issue.” I strongly disagree. I see this and hope you will also see this “as a school family issue.” In excess of 80% of thousands of students I have spoke with in over 30 states state the person they most wish to speak to at school following a tragedy is their classroom teacher. They also state that their greatest need immediately following a tragedy is for comfort instead of counseling. The counselors do have a very important function (which will be explored in this course) and that function is to counsel after the comfort and diffusing activities have taken place in the classroom. This protocol is in line with recent brain research stating that a quality sensory connection (comfort) must be in place before a quality cognitive connection (counseling) can occur. Also available online.
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Crisis Interventions
Learn what to do in the days following a trauma when crisis intervention may be needed. Tragedies, like Hurricane Katrina and 9/11, leave behind devastation and destruction. Because victims are constantly reminded of the trauma, their state of crisis is prolonged and heightened. Very specific intervention techniques will be demonstrated which are designed to stabilize those in crisis in the days that follow exposure, at a time when specific trauma intervention would not be appropriate.
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Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault with Teens
This course will provide valuable information on how you can address the needs of youth who witness domestic violence. Participants will learn about the dynamics of domestic violence, effects of witnessing domestic violence on children, how parenting is affected, and best practices in responding to youth who are exposed to domestic violence. Anyone working in the community will be better equipped to address the needs of families who have experienced the trauma of domestic violence. Also available online.
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Ethics of Art and Play Therapy with Traumatized Children
This course covers the major ethical issues of using art and play therapy in trauma intervention with children. Topics include professional practice codes in art therapy and play therapy; ethics of touch in play therapy; confidentiality and retention of children’s art expressions; unique dilemmas of using art and play therapy in disaster relief; children’s drawings as admissible evidence in child abuse cases; and ethically and culturally sensitive art therapy with children. All readings are included; course materials and objectives are complemented by quizzes, short response papers, films, links to valuable resources, downloadable documents, and hands-on activities. If you are a professional who needs the mandatory 6 continuing education credits for license or certification renewal, you’ll find this course both practical and enjoyable. For art and play therapists, this course will provide a refresher on professional practice and specific skills in the area of traumatized children. For counselors, marriage and family therapists, social workers, nurses, and psychologists, you’ll upgrade your understanding of the ethical application of art and play in your work with traumatized children. Available online.
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Grief
Participants will leave this training with an understanding of the grief journey for children. They will also leave with a "tool box" of easy, hand-on activities to use with individual children and groups. Anticipatory grief will be discussed and participants will learn how they can support and guide the healing process before death occurs. The three tasks of grief will be explored along with specific activities to support each task. Participants will have the opportunity to self reflect and look at how our own personal, professional and educational experiences are reflected in our work with children who are grieving. The various factors that influence childhood grief will be examined as well as the developmental aspects of childhood grief. Lecture, discussions, hands on activities and group work are all included in the day.
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Incorporating Faith into Trauma Intervention
There is an additional complex dynamic of the trauma experience that happens when individuals of faith are met with tragedy. They not only have to deal with the normal areas that are identified through the SITCAP® model, but they also have to come to grips with what they believe happened to them from a spiritual perspective. In other words, they not only have to deal with their pain and loss, but they also have to work through what they believe God’s role is in their trauma. Underlying distorted beliefs about God tend to emerge when tragedy strikes, which add to the pain and sometimes even worsen the terror that is being experienced. This often compounds/complicates the trauma intervention process. This course will give participants background information and the tools they will need when providing trauma intervention for faith-based children/adolescents. Participants will learn how to identify and explore the child’s/adolescent’s “God-concept”… as well as how to incorporate faith-based trauma specific questions, strategies and activities into the SITCAP model. Once a child/adolescent of faith can come to a healthy resolve about God’s role in his/her trauma, he/she can begin the process of healing from the experience of the trauma.
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MORE Structured Sensory Interventions
This advanced session will engage participants in a variety of advanced psycho-educational, sensory activities to allow for the use of these interventions beyond the core TLC program or for use in those situations where it is not possible to use the full program. Play therapy activities will cover early childhood through adulthood and address the sensory experiences associated with trauma or grief. This is a practice session so participants experience the full value and application of these play therapy activities. Rap It Write, Strike A Pose, Ready…Set…R.E.L.A.X., My Play Island and This Reminds Me Of… are just a few of the sensory activities presented. TLC activities are used in school and agency settings.
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Neurodevelopment Lens into Play-Based Trauma Interventions
This presentation focuses on the role of neuro developmental sensory processing in the experience of trauma and the mechanisms that internally perpetuate the trauma once the threat has passed. Specific play-based sensori-motor strategies will be demonstrated and discussed that help the body/nervous system re-regulate internal states versus being activated and aroused by triggered trauma memories and sensations. Understanding how to help children with self-regulation through sensory processing enhances the success of resolving the trauma and helps restore feelings of self-control and safety.
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Play Therapy
This presentation provides the participant with trauma-specific play therapy strategies. Strategies such as puppets, sand tray, and other mediums will be demonstrated and critical therapeutic guidelines related to their use will be highlighted. A review of the most current trauma-specific books for use in sessions will also be presented. Participants will also take part in activities using some the materials discussed.
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Positive Behavioral Support
The Power of Positive Behavioral Support (PBS) is a process for identifying the problem behaviors of a child, developing an understanding of their purpose or function, and developing supports that are implemented by everyone significant in the child's life. Research indicates that children with challenging behaviors are more likely to be rejected by their peers, receive less positive feedback, do worse in school and are less likely to be successful in their daily lives, so Positive Behavioral Support was born! This approach is based on humanistic values and research. It allows teacher sand staff to develop an understanding of WHY a child has challenging behavior and determine the purpose or the FUNCTION of that specific behavior. PBS also focuses on teaching new "replacement" skills that ultimately change the child's behavior. Suggested strategies include"Tucker," one terrific turtle and the "Super Friend" technique that teaches young children how to problem solve and resolve conflicts. Many examples of social stories and visual supports are part of the program that are evidenced-based effective strategies that teachers/staff can implement and put to immediate use. Participants will discuss the correlation between trauma/grief and challenging behaviors and will be able to describe the importance of relationship building, supportive environments, social-emotional development, and emotional literacy. They will also learn individualized intensive interventions for trauma, behavioral difficulties and challenges.
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Positive Peer Culture
What’s a professional to say to a youth in crisis? Before saying anything, one must take time to listen and to understand what is going on in the psychological world of that youth. Only through this understanding can the professional determine the most advantageous and appropriate approach to produce a healing intervention. This small group session will help participants gain a clear understanding of a youth’s perspective as it relates to crisis. The session will also shed a light on how our own (limited) perspectives can impede the healing process if not carefully assessed. Participants will be introduced to the skill of “draining off” youth in crisis, and moving them toward productive communication and healing.
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Psychophysiology of Trauma
This presentation focuses on understanding the physiology of trauma by understanding the normal life-preserving survival responses of “flight/fight/freeze” in an individual and how they fulfill nature’s species-preserving function. Investigating the disturbance of these responses forms the essential foundation for understanding symptoms that results in Posttraumatic Stress and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder. Trauma is fundamentally a highly activated incomplete psycho-physiological response to threat, frozen in time. What is significant in the resolution of trauma is the completion of incompleted responses to threat and the ensuing discharge of the energy that was mobilized for survival.
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Structured Sensory Interventions
This is the second of the three TLC core courses. You will learn trauma-specific intervention tasks and techniques as well as see them demonstrated. This is a practice day. The presenter engages attendees in an encapsulated demonstration of the major sensory structured processes. Attendees will also participate in additional activities and, by days end, will feel comfortable using any of the TLC intervention programs. A brief presentation of the TLC evidence-based research and outcome will support the value of TLC’s structured sensory programs in schools and agencies. Session objectives.
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Suicide Intervention
This presentation will identify warning signs and high risk factors leading to suicidal attempts. Characteristics of potentially suicidal child/youth, specific interventions strategies and skills including legal responsibilities, assessment of risk and what is necessary to help prevent contagion following an actual completion. Develop specific intervention skills with survivors of suicide including organized responses necessary in school settings and the ways grief following suicide differs from grief following non-suicidal losses. Click for session objectives. Also available online.
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Reaching and Teaching Stressed and Anxious Students
In every classroom there are students who have experienced grievous losses. For some, these losses have been multiple; for some, they have been sudden and shocking, throwing the entire family into crisis. The feelings that may be experienced under the umbrella of fear include a sense of abandonment, betrayal, helplessness, shame, hopelessness, disappointment, sadness, grief and depression. While these feelings emerge out of perceptions or interpretations, not reality, the feelings are very real to youngsters and ultimately drive their behaviors, that is, until the feelings are transformed. The appropriate behaviors cannot be resolved until the children have had an opportunity to symbolically process and integrate their loss. The good news is that there is a wealth of sensory activities that permit children to connect with the overwhelming memories in order to externalize the imprint of terror and helplessness and over come it. This course will provide the information and interventions needed for teachers to reach and teach these students. Also available online.
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Ready...Set...R.E.L.A.X.
Stress affects children, as well as adults. This workshop examines the physiological and psychological effects of stress on children, and details a program designed to reduce anxiety and improve self-concept in children. The program includes self-guided stories, discussion questions and activities, and emphasizes imagery and relaxation. Workshop participants learn specific interventions to use with individual children or groups of children in schools, health care facilities, clinical settings and the home. Lecture, demonstrations (live and video), discussions and time for practicing the techniques are all included in the day’s activities.
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Resiliency in the Face of Day-to Day Trauma Work:
Taking Care of You and Your Client
This workshop will provide suggestions for developing your resiliency in order to meet the demands of working with people who are traumatized. Dealing with the potential for compassion fatigue, and modeling self-care for the people, with whom you work, are important aspects of both your own and their healing. The techniques of relaxation, music, positive self-talk and humor will be discussed as well as demonstrated. Group discussions will provide the attendees opportunity to share stories, provide peer support and recognize that they are not alone in the challenges that face those in the helping field.
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Trauma Debriefing
This is the last of the three TLC core course. The TLC Debriefing Model fits with the uniqueness of school and agency settings. The models address the developmental issues, time and resource constraints, needs of staff as well as students/clients, administrative issues and trauma response issues. Five debriefing models are demonstrated: Debriefing for adolescents and adults, Defusing for K-5th grade, Operational Debriefing for all staff, Debriefing the Debriefers, Crisis Team members or first respondents and Classroom Presentation which is different than debriefing and usually initiated before the start of debriefing. The TLC Debriefing Model is the outcome of work with over 1,500 professionals who have participated in debriefing training.
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Trauma Informed Art and Play Therapy
Trauma-informed art therapy integrates neurodevelopment, somatic approaches, mindfulness practices, and resilience enhancement, using art making and play as the core approaches. It is based on best evidence-based practices identified by SAMSHA and TLC. This course presents a 5-part model for intervention to help traumatized children and adolescents externalize and concretize their experiences through sensory-based methods. Participants will gain a foundation for why art and play activities enhance trauma intervention and our understanding of PTSD in children through learning specific interventions for use in schools, shelters, hospitals and clinics. Click for session objectives.
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Trauma Informed Assessment and Practice
Didactic presentation and comprehensive child and adolescent case examples provide participants with the framework and support for using trauma informed and strength based assessment to best develop and implement trauma informed practices to enhance resilience and posttraumatic growth when moving children and adolescents from victim to survivor to thriver. Also provides several trauma informed examples of intervention strategies to use with children and adolescents based upon assessment outcomes. Also available online.
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Trauma Informed Schools
For those who are employed by or assigned to schools, the goal of integrating trauma-sensitive practices can be challenging. Some standard school policies tend to aggravate the distress of students who have traumatic memories, compounding behavioral and learning issues. School counselors, social workers, and mental health personnel assigned to schools are expected to “fix” student behavioral problems but have little or no influence on school policies. By integrating trauma sensitivity into school policies and teaching strategies, school climates and academic achievement can greatly improve, especially in districts serving fiscally depressed communities. This course will give you information to provide to school administrators and staff which illustrates the correlations between trauma, brain development, behavioral, and learning issues. By sharing information that permits schools to address the root causes of behavioral and learning dilemmas, educators will be empowered to reach the improved achievement expectations required by state and federal departments of education. Also available online.
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Trauma in the Classroom: Signs and Strategies
This full day presentation will increase awareness and understanding of the impact that grief and trauma have on student learning and on students. Through case examples we will look at the difference between grief and trauma and why some students are more at risk than others. We will explore how the arousal continuum influences the way students feel, think and act, and we’ll gain a better understanding of those stressors that increase the alarm state in traumatized children and adolescents by learning how an event is remembered by the body and central nervous system. Participants will be able to identify cognitive, sensory and behavioral signs of trauma, and learn various concrete strategies that work in the school setting to help students feel safe and maximize learning.
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Unique Clinical Needs for Children of Color
When compared to the mainstream population, minorities have different cultural expectations as well as different clinical needs. As the minority population of the United States continues to increase, professional clinicians must not merely acknowledge the clinical needs of children of color, but they must also expand their clinical expertise to include those needs. Though the clinical needs of all children should be individualized, there are some cultural considerations that should be taken into account when planning interventions for the treatment of a child of color. This introductory course will touch on the broader needs of black and Latino children in the United States, though many of the principles may be applied to children of other ethnic backgrounds.
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What Color Is Your Hurt: Returning Balance Between Left and Right Brain Functions in Traumatized Preschoolers
Given all that has been learned the past five years about early trauma and the developing brain, TLC’s What Color Is Your Hurt? program was revised. The new program contains sensori-motor and Positive Behavior Support activities to help create a balance between left and right brain functioning in traumatized children 3-6 years old. Following several trainings, presentations and outcome information, The Early Childhood Education Department in New Jersey pursued and were awarded stimulus funds to train several school districts in the state on the use of What Color Is Your Hurt?. Ms. Ciocco will actively involve participants in the new program activities to gain firsthand experience of their benefits for the children.
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Working Through An Ethical Lens
With a commitment to providing best practice interventions, ethical perspective and decision-making remain paramount. This course allows practitioners the opportunity to review their professional code of ethics and learn where ethical dilemmas impact both the populations we serve and those issues present with complicated grieving and trauma interventions. A framework to work through and arrive at the most ethical response will be presented. Also available online.
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Zero to Three Trauma Interventions
This course will provide you with the background and tools needed to work with infants and toddlers and their caregivers after they have experienced a traumatic situation. You will learn how to educate parents, facilitate secure attachments and reduce arousal reactions so that healing can occur. Also available online.
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