Here’s a sneak peek at what we have planned in addition to hearing from Curt Thompson and Ross and Staci King.
Preconference Session Friday Afternoon: Building Connection and Making Parenting More Fun
Parenting any child can be stressful, but parenting children with special emotional needs can tax one’s emotional resources to the limit—and beyond. Even still, the deepest desire for most parents is to feel deeply connected with their child, whatever behavior or needs may exist. Theraplay was developed out of attachment-based methods for parent-child play and emotional engagement to meet that desire. Used in schools, therapy centers, and family therapy programs, Theraplay can bring fun and connection to family relationships through social connection play and practicing the principles of Structure, Engagement, Nurture, and Challenge with kids of varied ages and development. At this preconference workshop, you will be guided through games, practice exercises, and reflection moments designed to build your repertoire of parent-child connection skills…and maybe even parent-parent while we’re at it!
About the speakers:
Anne M. Coleman, PhD, & Rand Coleman, PhD, are the parents of two adopted children and one birth child. While living in Green Bay, WI, they provided emergency foster care to over 30 children in need. They eventually transitioned into long-term foster care, adopting a sibling pair who had emotional and attachment needs. Through the process, they learned and developed parenting strategies specific to youth with a history of trauma and having serious behavioral difficulty. Theraplay was integrated into their daily approach. Originally trained as a neuroscientist, Anne taught science courses for various programs, eventually becoming Chair of the Science Department at Cabrini University. While there, she conducted and published research on educational methods and on attachment therapy. She is now an Associate Dean at Rosemont College. Trained as a neuropsychologist, Rand has worked in both residential care and private practice. Clinical work in residential care focused on care for youth with Autism, while clinical work in private practice has been a combination of child evaluation and attachment-based therapy. Currently, he works at Cornerstone Therapy & Wellness in Malvern, PA.
Saturday Afternoon Breakout Sessions:
Big, Hard, Scary Things and the Brain
Some of our kids have been through so much in their short lives. Some of our kids have only known our family their entire lives. Some of our kids have never experienced a family before ours. All of these kids have trauma. Trauma sculpts the way our kids view the world and the way their brain interacts with life events. Using a hands-on, collaborative activity, this workshop will give you insight to how our children’s brains (and ours) work and are impacted by traumatic experiences and practical ways to help all the brains in your family.
About the speakers:
Michelle Catania is a licensed marriage and family therapist in Connecticut. She holds a master’s degree in Marriage and Family Therapy from Southern Connecticut State University and a bachelor’s degree in Psychology with certification in Elementary Education from Franklin Pierce University. She has expertise in brain-based disorders including ADHD, Autism, and Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder. She was a preschool teacher for over 15 years and has children of her own, two biologically and one through special needs adoption. She was born and raised in San Diego, California but has grown to love the seasonal changes in New England where she lives with her husband and three children. She enjoys scrapbooking, hot chocolate, and playing in the snow. And, she loves her job where she can share her passion for Christ and her love for families.
Olivia Dimmig has been a registered nurse working in public health since 2016. She has experience caring for families via the Nurse-Family Partnership home visiting program which empowers vulnerable, first-time moms to transform their lives and create better futures for themselves and their babies. And, she is the newest addition to The Sparrow Fund team! Aspects of her work that most excite her are fostering maternal-child engagement, empowerment, and resilience. She and her husband Brent live in Phoenixville, PA with their infant daughter.
Building Family Connections Through Theraplay
Children drive each other crazy, and then they gang up on the parents—or at least it can feel that way! Put that energy and emotional intensity to good purpose through use of Theraplay principles and activities. Developed as a method of helping youth with Autism or behavioral dysregulation disorders, Theraplay has grown into one of the most used attachment-based therapy programs around the world. Easy to learn, fun, socially interactive activities can give children an experience of safety, connection, and emotional engagement with each other and with caregivers. Activities can be adapted for classrooms, family vacations, one-on-one nurture moments, and facilitating sibling connection. Come ready to practice numerous individual and group Theraplay games, insuring you take away immediately applicable skills in addition to head knowledge.
About the speakers:
Anne M. Coleman, PhD, & Rand Coleman, PhD, are the parents of two adopted children and one birth child. While living in Green Bay, WI, they provided emergency foster care to over 30 children in need. They eventually transitioned into long-term foster care, adopting a sibling pair who had emotional and attachment needs. Through the process, they learned and developed parenting strategies specific to youth with a history of trauma and having serious behavioral difficulty. Theraplay was integrated into their daily approach. Originally trained as a neuroscientist, Anne taught science courses for various programs, eventually becoming Chair of the Science Department at Cabrini University. While there, she conducted and published research on educational methods and on attachment therapy. She is now an Associate Dean at Rosemont College. Trained as a neuropsychologist, Rand has worked in both residential care and private practice. Clinical work in residential care focused on care for youth with Autism, while clinical work in private practice has been a combination of child evaluation and attachment-based therapy. Currently, he works at Cornerstone Therapy & Wellness in Malvern, PA.
Loving the Broken People of a Broken System
Most people sign on as foster parents with an enthusiasm to care for vulnerable children. But, what about when those children are difficult to love? And–even more challenging–what about all of the other broken people in the broken system? This workshop will explore biblical encouragements, real-life experience, and practical strategies for engaging with and, ultimately, loving biological parents, social workers, judges, and other foster parents.
About the speaker:
Jamie Finn is the biological, adoptive, and foster mother of 4-6 children. When she’s not homeschooling, changing diapers, playing Pokemon, making slime, and singing “Let it Go,” she spends her time encouraging, equipping, and serving foster and adoptive parents. She is the host of the Real Mom Podcast and the author of Foster the Family Blog which is read by 100,000 people each month and has been featured in over 20 online and print publications. Jamie serves as the director of Foster the Family, a nonprofit which seeks to encourage and support foster and adoptive families, mobilize the church and community for foster care and adoption, and advocate for vulnerable children. Jamie and her middle school sweetheart and husband of 14 years, Alan, live in New Jersey with their children.
Coregulation: The Key to Attachment Parenting
Parenting is hard. Parenting in adoption is harder. Parenting through attachment trauma can seem almost impossible. Coregulation offers a tool that parents can implement both for their own regulation as well as for their children. Come to explore both the science behind coregulation and the art of implementing coregulation. This breakout will involve experiential learning, giving you opportunity to practice techniques during the session as well as learn about specific resources that can be helpful to children of all ages.
About the speaker:
Rachel Harrison, LCPC, NCC is a therapist and owner of the practice Trauma Specialists of Maryland with two locations in Frederick, Maryland. She is also a trainer of therapists, offering training in working with adoptive families, attachment and EMDR Therapy. She is an Approved Consultant with EMDRIA, consulting on cases with therapists across the country who are doing both trauma and attachment work with clinical populations. Rachel is an adjunct faculty member of Hood College, teaching courses in the graduate Clinical Counseling program. She has worked with adoptive families for 21 years in the clinical setting but also has “real-life experience” raising 2 adopted boys of her own. Rachel has a passion for treating trauma and for improving attachment between parents and their children.
When Two Worlds Collide
The greatest times of conflict in relationships often arise when one person’s history intersects with another person’s history. Parenting is no different. Some of the toughest moments in parenting occur when our child’s history and beliefs collide with our history, motivations, and expectations. In this breakout, the Norths will help you understand the impacts of hard places on our children and how compassion and empathy should be the appropriate responses to their expressed needs. At the same time, we will walk you through how your own histories and experiences inform how you respond to your children.Our individual histories (both ours and our children’s) inform where we are but do not have to determine how our story as a family develops together.
About the speakers:
Ryan and Kayla North are experts on childhood trauma and its impact on children and adults. They spent 10 years as resource parents over which time they cared for 30 different children and adopted 4 who joined their 2 bio kids. They are both TBRI Practitioners and served as Lead Trainers for Empowered to Connect. Kayla is the Executive Director of Tapestry, a nonprofit that supports and equips churches with the tools and resources needed to help the families they serve. They are cofounders of One Big Happy Home and, together, have developed training materials for churches, schools, and parents educating them on trauma and its impacts. You can hear them on The Empowered Parent Podcast and read their writing on Empowered to Connect and at One Big Happy Home.
SPECIAL THANKS TO GOULDEY WELDING & FABRICATIONS, THE JOY BUILDERS, MADISON ADOPTION ASSOCIATES, REECE’S RAINBOW, AND ADAM REIMERS.
Other Chinese New Year links that may interest you:
Interested in learning more about this little 10-year-old chef? He is a waiting child with congenital heart disease who is currently available for adoption through Madison, a good agency which is offering a $1,000 agency grant to the family who wants to make him their son. Contact 