We now know that there is nothing more stressful than emotional wounding, yet evidence strongly indicates that our children’s world is becoming a more wounding place. We also know that the emotional health and well-being of our children depends upon us being able to keep them safe, yet how are we to do this when our ability to control the situations and circumstances in their lives is waning? Although our educational systems have never tried harder to reduce discrimination and bullying as well as teach empathy, these efforts are proving futile as they do not address the underlying roots of the problems. Based on new insights in developmental science, Dr. Neufeld will reveal surprising solutions to this distressing problem.

Course Description

There is certainly a growing consciousness within our society that emotional well-being is at the heart of the matter with regards to the realization of potential for our students, whether this be for learning, maturation, fulfillment or ultimately for healthy integration into society. At the same time there is growing evidence that our children are in trouble emotionally with stress levels measuring even higher than in previous times of war or instability. Anxiety and aggression are increasing and suicidal ideation continues to climb. Somehow their world has become a more wounding place with no obvious circumstances to blame. There is a growing commitment to keeping our students and children safe but little understanding of how to do this. Battling societal symptoms such as bullying and discrimination is not only costly but ultimately futile as well. Trying to get children and youth to be more sensitive to each other, although well-meaning, has not delivered the hoped for results. With less and less control over the circumstances of their lives, how can we possibly keep our children and students safe, especially in an increasingly wounding world? What are the factors that put children at risk and how can we recognize when they are in trouble?

We certainly cannot effectively address a problem we do not understand. As a leading articulator of developmental science, Dr. Neufeld puts the puzzle pieces together to reveal the nature of today's increased emotional vulnerability among children. With new understandings of emotion, attachment, and the impact of wounding, he makes sense of what is happening and opens doors for change. The solutions are surprisingly accessible as well as achievable, once understood.

Dr. Neufeld's life's work has been to make sense of children to the adults responsible for them, in the hopes that this will lead to providing the conditions that are conducive to the unfolding of their full human potential. His insights have been sought by parents, educators and helping professionals all over the world.

Suitability/Applicability

While highly relevant to any parent, this course is designed to be especially applicable to educators and helping professionals. The material is appropriate for 6 CEUs (Continuing Education Units) but students must apply individually for this credit through their own professional regulatory organizations.

Formats & Fees

This course is available in Lecture Video Format only – filmed lectures or presentations that can be streamed or downloaded without having to access our virtual campus.

Topics/Objectives

Some of the topics covered in this four-session course include:

  • why today's children are more emotionally vulnerable
  • what are the primary sources of wounding for today's children
  • why today's children are more likely to stuck in situational reactions to wounding
  • the insidious impact of escalating peer orientation among students
  • why the digital world is such a wounding place
  • why children are increasingly tribalizing, despite globalization
  • why children lose their feelings and the insidious impact of this loss
  • how aggression and anxiety are rooted in stuck reactions to wounding
  • the early warning signs of wounding too much to bear
  • how the wounded can become the wounders
  • why the cycle of wounding is escalating among students
  • the five steps to emotional maturation and how wounding interferes with this
  • why tilting against the wounding world is futile
  • how traditional interventions to wounding behaviour backfires
  • how we can protect the hearts of our children without controlling their circumstances
  • how we can use student-teacher relationships to foster emotional health and well-being
  • how we can use emotional playgrounds to foster emotional health and well-being

Course Outline

The six-hour course is divided into four sessions of about 1.25 hours each, plus a curated Q&A session and an interview with Dr. Neufeld on the content of the material.

Session One – How the power to wound is a function of attachment

Session Two – How the pain of a wound is a function of feeling

Session Three – A 'Shielding & Sanctuary' approach to keeping children safe

Session Four – A comparison of approaches and their effectiveness to keeping children safe

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