Therapy Interventions for Resistant Teens and Their Caregivers

COURSE DATE
Call for Schedule
Course Fee
Normal Fees: S$780
NTUC UTAP: Reimbursement of 50% of course fees (up to $250/year)
NCSS VCF Pre- Approval Funding: Pending
​​Schools & Ministries: e-invoicing via vendor.gov
Delivery Mode
Zoom
about the trainer
This workshop is facilitated by Ms Annie Monaco and Ms Nicole E. Wolasz. 

​ Ms Annie Monaco (LCSW-R, RPT) is a New York State Licensed Clinical Social Worker, Registered Play Therapist and a faculty member of the Child Trauma Institute & Trauma Institute and of University at Buffalo School of Social Work. Annie travels throughout the US and internationally providing a multitude of trauma-informed trainings and agency and therapist consultation. Annie is an EMDRIA approved trainer of EMDR, Progressive Counting and STAR (Strategies for Trauma Awareness and Resiliency). Annie also provides specialty trainings on attachment, dissociation, and EMDR with Teenagers and with younger children. Annie was a Director of Restorative Justice programs at a non- profit agency where she oversaw juvenile and adult offender programs for over 10 years. Ms. Monaco has extensive experience and training in teens, family therapy and working with the juvenile justice population. Presently her private practice includes a multitude of behaviours and issues including foster care, out of country adoptions, juvenile justice and dissociation. Annie is the co-editor and contributor of chapters for EMDR with Children in the Play Therapy Room, an integrated approach (2020)

Nicole E. Wolasz (LCSW-R) is a Licensed Clinical Social Work and a faculty member of the Trauma Institute and Child Trauma Institute. Nicole has been serving youth and families in Western New York since 1997. She specializes in family therapy, grief/loss issues, trauma therapy and juvenile offender work. Nicole was a Director of Restorative Justice programs for teen offenders and their families at a non-profit agency. Nicole provides training and consultation to therapists and agencies on Trauma-Informed Care and how to implement it into daily practice. Additionally, Nicole is an Approved EMDR Consultant Trainer. 
Course Overview

Do your teen clients experience the following behaviours?
  • Failing school and/or refusing to attend
  • ​Exhibit severe behaviours: including stealing, lying, arguing, destruction of property and defiance
  • Aggressive behaviours, violent outbursts, sexualized behaviours
  • Legal issues and involved with systems of probation, courts and in home services
  • Present as different people: nice and sweet, and then enraged
  • May have multiple diagnoses: this is including (but not limited to) Oppositional
  • Defiant Disorder, Disruptive Behaviour Disorder, ADHD, and/or Conduct Disorder
​
Teen clients who exhibit concerning problem behaviours are often challenging to therapists to not only engage in treatment but provide effective EMDR therapy. This workshop will address how to treat teens and their caregivers who have family relationship issues, attachment wounds and are using dissociation strategies. Participants will be learning and practicing innovative ways to use all the phases of EMDR to engage the client, manage the dissociation symptoms and heal the client’s early attachment wounds.

Key Features of this Workshop:
  • Review how to effectively reframe the negative behaviours of all family members • Practice gathering an in-depth attachment history
  • Review motivational intervention called Future Self
  • Explain and practice over 20 soothing and grounding strategies
  • Review and understand dissociation strategies and how to learn and work with parts of self
  • Detailed transcripts of using all phases of EMDR with instructor’s teenage clients 

Workshop Objectives

  • Identify why traumatized teens may appear stuck or unable to move forward, and how this manifests itself in clients in school, home, and legal systems
  • Distinguish “Meaning of Behaviours” of participant’s own client by utilizing a EMDR Teen consultation form
  • Explain to caregivers about family dynamics, attachment wounds, and dissociative strategies to improve relational dynamics with teenagers.
  • Describe evidence-based family therapy strategies which include recognizing “distancing”/ “contacting” parents and compose reframes negative behaviors of all family members
  • Identify early attachment trauma symptoms and behaviors and understand how this leads to dissociative symptoms in teenagers
  • Demonstrate an in-depth attachment history of caregivers and teens to assess attachment wounds and disruptions
  • Summarize brain science and window of tolerance to help educate clients to understand their own reactive behaviors and utilize 20 interventions to return clients to the optimal arousal zone
  • Distinguish Polyvagal theory to guide clients from improve states of mind and enhance their capacity for self-regulation.
  • Recognize dissociation theory and a screening script to educate parents about problematic behaviors through the lens of dissociation.
  • Describe “Come Together Script” to identify self-states and treat parts of self in dissociative teenagers
  • Demonstrate the EMDR protocol with titration techniques to effectively treat traumatic experiences
  • Examine step by step procedures in all the phases of EMDR through case transcripts


Target Audience
This workshop is designed for any mental health professionals (or graduate level students) working with children, adolescents and adults in a therapy session. This can include social workers, psychologists, counsellors, school counsellors and any other counselling disciplines. 
 
Duration
8 hours via Zoom. Due to time difference between USA and Singapore, this workshop will be conducted in the mornings (Singapore Time).