FILLED RETREAT BREAKOUT SESSIONS
*Check out the full SPEAKER bios here*
1:00pm
How to Increase Frustration Tolerance (Yours and Theirs) - Melissa Corkum (FREEDOM HALL B - LEVEL ONE)
Do your kids have explosive behaviors after the smallest disappointment? Do you flip your lid over every little thing? Is everyone walking on eggshells in your house? There are no quick fixes, but in this practical breakout, you’ll learn how to harness the power of neurobiology and polyvagal theory into practical ways that will slowly increase your family’s frustration tolerance so you can laugh more and yell less.
Turning Our Pit into a Well: How Practicing Sabbath Changes Everything - Kristen Welch (COMMONWEALTH 1&2 - LEVEL TWO)
After 13 years of starting and running Mercy House Global and running it like a sprint instead of a marathon, Kristen Welch shares how a weekly Sabbath practice saved her life and showed her the incredible freedom that comes with total surrender. If you’re a control freak, this is for you! Sabbath not only makes room for God in our lives, it provides justice for the vulnerable. Come and learn about the vulnerable women she works with in Kenya and make bracelets from the beads they create from paper.
My Attachment: Understanding the theory of attachment - Kimberly Glaudy (COMMONWEALTH 3 - LEVEL TWO)
Participants will be introduced to the theory of attachment in a "user-friendly" format. Participants will apply the theory to their own upbringing which may shed light on how we all show-up in the world everyday.
Protecting Your Family from Tech Addiction and Pornography - Jodi Jackson Tucker (COMMONWEALTH 4 - LEVEL TWO)
Is the technology battle causing disruption in your family? Are you struggling to understand why your child is so drawn to bad choices on the internet? Are you tired of fighting this war? This research-based workshop will illustrate the unique challenges of technology for all children but especially children from trauma. Resources and tools will be shared for tackling this issue in the family.
Cultivating Confidence: When Insecurity Impacts Your Identity - Kayla Moffitt (HERITAGE A - LEVEL THREE)
Have you ever found yourself grappling with feelings of jealousy towards your child's biological parents? Or maybe you've felt inadequate in your role as a parent to a child who has lived years of life without you? You're not alone. Join Kayla for a comprehensive, interactive session that dives into recognizing foster/adoptive mom insecurities, discussing common ones such as comparison of biological family, fear of rejection, feelings of inadequacy, and more, while exploring strategies on how to conquer our self-doubt, allowing us to ultimately build confidence in our role as mothers.
Praying Through Foster Care - Jessica Mathisen (HERITAGE B - LEVEL THREE)
The foster care journey is tumultuous, with so many unknowns and uncertainties that shape every day. When parenting children from hard places, the emotions run the gamut from unbridled joy to paralyzing fear. You may feel completely overwhelmed with all that God has entrusted you, or you may feel humbled and honored. Either way, prayer can change hearts, even when circumstances remain the same.
Mental Health and the Adopted Child - Christina Reese (HERITAGE C - LEVEL THREE)
How does adoption impact your child's mental health? Does trauma masquerade as disorders? How do I know when it's time to seek help? As a parent, how can I support my child in their emotional and mental health struggles? Come have all your questions answered and leave with interventions you can start using today for depression, anxiety, ADHD and trauma.
Caring for the Child Within - Olivia Hudson (HERITAGE D - LEVEL THREE)
When we are caring for children that are hurting due to the pain of abandonment, we can become weary. This class is to remind you that there is a child within you that needs to be cared for. Caring for the child within you allows you to emotionally handle better the ups and downs of caring for a child who is hurting.
Navigating Your Child's Crisis - Erin Bouchard (HERITAGE E - LEVEL THREE)
When a family is in crisis, it’s often all they can think about, as they move into survival mode. They are focused on the child’s behaviours and frustrations rather than on growth and healing. But the key to successfully handling crisis in our homes, begins long before we are in a crisis. In this workshop, Erin Bouchard, owner of Trauma Based Parenting and author of Trauma Based Parenting, will walk your participants through understanding your child's regulation spiral. She will equip you with the skills you need to manage all aspects of the spiral. You’ll learn how our kids, due to their early trauma and attachment, so often function at a de-regulated state. She’ll give strategies for managing the spiral, learning the cues of the spiral and how to navigate when our child is at the top of the spiral.
Fearfully and wonderfully made: Raising the Extraordinary — Children with Medical/Special Needs - Mandy Litzke (HICKORY A&B - LEVEL THREE)
Join Mandy as she talks about the sacred privilege of parenting kids from hard places with ongoing medical and/or special needs/Disabilities.
How can you balance caring for your child's physical and emotional needs?
How can you care for their ongoing needs when it feels overwhelming?
How can you help others celebrate and embrace your child for who they truly are, rather than only associating your child with their diagnosis?
( Come join the discussion.)
2:10pm
Creating Behavior Plans that Work for Children with ADHD and Other Diagnoses - Melissa Corkum (FREEDOM HALL B - LEVEL ONE
Traditional behavior plans that use extrinsic motivators such as stickers miss the opportunity to address challenging behaviors at the root. Additionally, diagnoses can muddy the waters about what is causing the behaviors and the “right” way to support your child. This breakout will walk parents through a step-by-step process for creating a behavior plan that honors their child’s nervous system. This process is appropriate for children with any diagnosis including ADHD, ODD, Autism Spectrum Disorder, FASDs, Complex Developmental Trauma, PTSD, and attachment challenges.Social-Emotional, Cognitive Focused Learning: An Integrated Journey - Ann-Maura Hinton (COMMONWEALTH 1&2 - LEVEL TWO)
So many of the children we serve have multiple learning differences resulting in academic and relational struggles. This workshop is a trauma-informed, cognitive focused training designed to empower participants with 21st century brain science, and equip participants with practical tools and strategies that have been proved to strengthen social-emotional, motor-sensory and cognitive skills.
Their Attachment: Looking at attachment through the lens of interpersonal trauma - Kimberly Glaudy (COMMONWEALTH 3 - LEVEL TWO)
Participants will continue exploring the types of attachment styles that are common to those who have experienced a history of harm or neglect. We will become detectives to our children's behaviors and discovering the need behind such behaviors
Preparing to Launch: How to Parent Our Trauma Affected Teens to Prepare Them for Adulthood - Melissa Smallwood (COMMONWEALTH 4 - LEVEL TWO)
You may expect a breakout with this title to cover things like laundry, budgeting, cooking simple meals and making a doctor's appointment. Those are all important life skills. But, there are some big picture things that are also crucial for us to instill and teach our kids that will be necessary for them to complete the developmental tasks of adolescence and be prepared for adulthood. In our time together, we will deep dive into six key concepts to prepare our trauma affected kids for their futures and discover how to do so in a connected, positive and regulated way. We will also talk about realistic expectations, the difference between support and enabling and what to do when things go off track. Join me in developing a plan to avoid parenting from a place of fear during the often dreaded adolescent years.
Sibling Strong: A Workshop on Surviving and Thriving with Sibling Groups - Kayla Moffitt (HERITAGE A - LEVEL THREE)
Are you caring for or raising a sibling group? Taking placement of a sibling group can be daunting as you work through attachment dynamics, recognize individual trauma histories, differentiate unique needs and identities, and struggle with the persistent, frustrating feeling of "There's always something!" happening in life. Kayla, an adoptive mama to 5 siblings, knows this well. In this session, we will discuss the unique challenges that come with raising siblings.
Guardianship Panel - Danisha Keating, Raquel McCloud, Savannah Wehling (HERITAGE B - LEVEL THREE)
Learn from three women with extensive lived experience of both sides of guardianship and kinship care. Panelists Danisha and Raquel will share their experience of having guardianship of their siblings and Savannah of being under the guardianship of family members. Listen to three women with varied experiences and perspectives share about what they've walked through and what they've learned and then ask your questions on all things guardianship and kinship care.
Healthy Relationships With Biological Parents - Jamie Finn (HERITAGE C - LEVEL THREE)
Foster care is about more than just taking care of a child, it’s about playing a part in the healing of a family. This breakout will address the foster parent’s role in building, strengthening, and repairing relationships with biological families. Jamie will lay the groundwork for a theological and research based foundation for family preservation and reunification, and share practical steps and ideas for foster parents looking to grow in building relationships with biological parents.
Jesus's Heart for Sinful Women - Amy DiMarcangelo (HERITAGE D - LEVEL THREE)
Do you struggle with shame? Do you wonder whether God's grace really is enough? Or, do you wrestle with judgment and resentment towards your child's bio mom? This session will take a look at Luke 7 to see Jesus's heart for sinful women. We'll find that instead of recoiling, he welcomes. Instead of condemning, he forgives. We'll see how his extravagant love conquers shame and enables us to walk in peace.
How to Build Community that Combats Isolation and Loneliness in Parenting - Liz Grubb & Sarah Dillon (HERITAGE E - LEVEL THREE)
We all say that community is important. As adoptive and foster mamas, we’re told (sometimes too much) to keep building community and to be in community. But navigating the day to day can be overwhelming, and as moms we carry the load - physically, mentally, emotionally - for our household. How can we have time, or even the energy, to build intentional community? The realities and trauma of parenting the adoptive and foster journey means we as moms can be more at risk for loneliness, isolation, and mental health concerns; on top of the normal busyness and challenges of parenting. Join Liz and Sarah from 2 Adoptive Mamas for real, practical, and manageable strategies on how to build community, combat loneliness, and promote your social wellness as a worthy and beautiful mama in this community.
Understanding and Overcoming Post-Placement Blues - Katie Clark (HICKORY A&B - LEVEL THREE)
You were so excited to be a foster or adoptive parent when you first started on this path. You dreamed of the day you would be able to care for a child, but now your reality isn't lining up with your expectations at all. You may find yourself feeling sad, anxious, withdrawn, even hopeless at times. Building attachment with your child, even in small ways, can feel like a formidable task. While the journey to overcome these feelings can take time, there is hope! In this session, we will learn about the parallels between Post-Placement Blues and Postpartum depression/anxiety and remove the shame and stigma around these very common motherhood experiences.
3:20pm
Understanding the Intersection of Transracial Adoption and Identity - Lydia Berkey (FREEDOM HALL B - LEVEL ONE)
We will be gaining an understanding of the different types of grief that adoptees experience through the adoption journey and how to navigate the impact adoption and racial isolation can have on one’s development.
A Trauma-Informed Look at Healthy Sleep - Allison Ezell (COMMONWEALTH 1&2 - LEVEL THREE)
We all know healthy sleep is important to helping our children and families thrive, but far too often, this is an area where foster and adoptive families feel unprepared and left to struggle through their issues with little to no professional guidance. In this breakout session, Certified Pediatric Sleep Consultant and adoptive mom Allison Ezell will be covering the foundations of healthy sleep in children who have experienced trauma. Topics covered in this session will be sleep science basics, the impact of trauma on sleep, sleep disturbances, and when to seek professional help. Allison will conclude by offering time to answer all your burning sleep questions at the end of the session.
Our Attachment Dance - Kimberly Glaudy (COMMONWEALTH 3 - LEVEL TWO)
Participants will explore and gain understanding of what is happening during the hard times of parenting our kiddos. Could it possibly be the history of the caregiver colliding with the history of those being cared for? Instead of feeling that painful impact, participants will learn how to do their version of an attachment dance.
Peace in the Dumpster Fire - Emily Graffius (COMMONWEALTH 4 - LEVEL TWO)
May the truth of God's presence and love be a balm to our broken hearts and weary souls. Sometimes we can't hear God or help doesn't come as we want. But He hasn't changed and He is here in the dumpster fire with grace and compassion. Trauma is real and there's hope for our hearts and nervous systems to heal too.
Cultivate - Raquel McCloud (HERITAGE B - LEVEL THREE)
A resource guide for intentionally nurturing an open and healthy relationship with your child’s birth mom. And how to hold space in their absence.
Open Adoption and Navigating and Supporting Biological Family Relationships - Elaine Shenk (HERITAGE C - LEVEL THREE)
The adoption triad of relationships (Adoptee, Biological Family, Adoptive Family) has moved from closed, confidential, private interactions to open, ongoing, engaging practices. For some, this causes anxiety and fear, especially if there are legal documents enforcing the level of contact. Who decides what is best? What is the driving force? Legal, moral or WWJD? We will look at cultivating empathy for other member’s points of view of openness throughout the lifelong journey of adoption.
The Language of Big Behaviors - Kristen Thomas (HERITAGE D - LEVEL THREE)
This workshop is designed to help foster and adoptive parents understand the language of big behaviors in children who have experienced trauma. We will explore together how to be investigators in our child's stories to see greater understanding impact our care of them. In this highly interactive workshop, you will hopefully leave with deeper compassion and language around challenging behaviors, tools for support and a greater sense of community with fellow foster/adoptive moms.
Grief Workshop - Jesse Boykin (HERITAGE E - LEVEL THREE)
This interactive breakout will cover the different types of grief a foster/adoptive mom may experience. We will learn about grief symptoms, strategies for coping, and provide encouragement for the grieving moms’ heart through written exercises. Come ready to be encouraged and do the work needed to move forward through your grief.
A Kinship Adoptee's Perspective - JT Olson (HICKORY A&B - LEVEL THREE)
JT will share his story with the purpose of inspiring attendees to keep fighting the good fight and that these kids are worth it. He will also share his experience of his aunt and uncle adopting him and the parenting challenges they faced along the way.