Tamara Neufeld Strijack

Clinical Counsellor Mayne Island, British Columbia

Tamara is a Registered Clinical Counsellor and the Academic Dean of the Institute. Tamara has worked with children and adolescents in various roles over the last twenty-five years and now primarily offers parenting consulting, workshops and teaches university courses for teachers and counsellors in training. Connection and relationship continue to be central themes in all her roles, both personally and professionally. She is the mother of two young women. As Dr. Gordon Neufeld`s daughter, Tamara offers a unique inside view, bringing together her own experience and insight with her father`s theoretical material. Learn more at tamarastrijack.ca

Latest editorials by Tamara Neufeld Strijack

Restless: What’s behind the stories of anxiety, attention problems and adrenaline-seeking?
What do anxiety, attention problems, bullying, and adrenaline-seeking all have in common? Although these stories all seem to be coming from a differe…Read more
Creating Safe Spaces: How Pretend Play Supports Child Development
The Art of Creating Space & the Magic of Pretend: Let me introduce you to Mister Rogers and Mister Dressup. Perhaps they need no introduction, es…Read more
Finding our own Expressive Play
An Invitation “Just make a mark,” Tammy said, as she boldly drew a messy line on her paper. I had been the kind of girl who coloured between t…Read more
If Yellow Was the Colour of Playfulness
Tamara Strijack reflects on losing and rediscovering playfulness through parenting, creativity, and everyday life. A gentle reminder of why play matt…Read more
The Mud Puddle and a Slug Called Finley
Tamara Strijack reflects on childhood wonder, mud puddle protests, and a slug named Finley—showing how nature nurtures growth and resilience. Read more
Reflections on the Passage of Time
Discover how play, presence, and natural rhythms can transform our relationship with time, offering moments of timelessness and deeper connection. Read more
Adding the Wisdom of Play to the Wisdom of Trauma
Tamara Strijack is exploring how play helps heal trauma and restore connection, expanding on Gabor Maté’s insights from The Wisdom of Trauma. Read more
90 Days of Sunday: Reflections on a Season of Slow
Tamara Strijack reflects on her sabbatical—90 days of slowing down, unplugging from technology, and rediscovering rhythm, rest, and permission throug…Read more
HELP! Adolescent Angst Then and Now
Tamara Strijack reflects on her own teenage angst and her daughter’s, showing how parents can create safety for adolescents to feel, stumble, and gro…Read more

Reclaiming Our Students: Why Children Are More Anxious, Aggressive, and Shut Down Than Ever – And What We Can Do About It

By Hannah Beach & Tamara Strijack

Children are more anxious, aggressive, and shut down than ever. Faced with this epidemic of emotional health crises and behavioral problems, teachers are asking themselves what went wrong. Why have we lost our students? More importantly: how can we get them back? Reclaiming Our Students is a thoughtful guide to restoring the student-teacher relationship and creating the conditions for change, written by Hannah Beach, celebrated educator and specialist in emotional health, and Tamara Neufeld Strijack, clinical counsellor and academic dean of the acclaimed Neufeld Institute—with a foreword by Gordon Neufeld, Ph.D.. Reclaiming Our Students empowers teachers with relationship-based strategies to restore their leadership role and build emotional safety in the classroom.

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