Dr Vanessa offers a variety of Webinars that are suited for your next Professional Development event. Organizers can select from one of the presentations below, or you can reach out out to one of our team members to learn about tailoring a presentation specifically for your day.
Webinars are offered virtually, and all participants must have access to a device with video/audio capabilities. Options include a question and answer period, emailed slides/notes to participants, issued certificates (when applicable) as well as limited-time access to a recording of the presentation.
To learn more, or to book your Professional Development webinar with Dr Vanessa, fill out the contact form at the bottom of this page.
Attention & … Squirrel!
The topic of “attention” is one that often has parents, teachers, and all sorts of other big people utterly befuddled. How is that a child can play with Lego for hours but cannot manage to sustain his/her attention long enough to understand “put your shoes away and wash your hands…”? Why is it that some children seem to “get better” at managing their attention, while others seem to get worse? Why is it that some children simply appear to tune out, while others become highly active, and may even present with different challenging behaviours? And how does any of this relate – or not – to the popularized label of “ADHD” and the treatment of such with medication? The reality is that it can be utterly overwhelming to wade through the vast amount of often conflictual information about attentional problems, what they are, where they come from, and how to respond to them. In this Attention workshop, we will discuss all of this with the aim of equipping participants with a sense of how best to respond to the attentional systems and needs of the children they are growing up.
When the Worry Monster Attacks: Supporting Children Struggling with Anxiety
The purpose of this workshop is to provide a framework for teachers and caregivers who are working to support and nurture a child who is struggling with anxiety. Anxiety comes in many shapes and sizes, and manifests differently for younger children than it does for older children and adults. Participants will learn about the different forms of anxiety that are commonly diagnosed in children (including Separation Anxiety, Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, Phobias, Generalized Anxiety Disorder, Social Anxiety and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, among others). We will work to understand what unites these different expressions of worry and how to best support the child feeling overwhelmed by such worry so that participants leave with a better sense of how to help put a child’s worry monster to rest.
The ABCs of Childhood Mental Health
Mental health has taken a central place in the minds of parents, caregivers, educators and other “big people” do to the significant number of children who are struggling. This workshop will explore the reasons for this struggle, the way mental health challenges typically present in children, and most importantly, what can be done to support children towards healthy development and actualizing their fullest potential.”
Anger & Eruptions: Understanding anger in children and what to do about it.
Anger in children is one of those emotions that often takes us by surprise, and indeed, provokes interesting responses out of us as educators and caregivers. Where does anger come from? When is anger a problem? What does anger have to do with brain development? Understanding anger and a child’s needs when anger erupts out of them is central to ensuring that anger is actually a positive aspect of growth rather than hurtful or damaging. When the emotional pathways that lead to angry explosions can be made sense of, it is easier to land on responses that are calming and facilitative of brilliant growth for the developing brain.
Caregiving 2.0 – Becoming the caregiver you want to be.
Caregiving 2.0 has evolved from getting children to comply and behave. We now know that when we focus on caring for both the hearts and minds of children, we create the path for children to develop loving relationships, optimal health, and success in endeavours that are meaningful to them … and they will behave. We accomplish this by meeting their primary attachment needs – when their hearts are safe, their brains will grow. We understand that as grown-ups we will lead them firmly and kindly. We will provide for them so they can lean into us. We know that when we meet their needs, we solicit their good intentions … and they will behave. And yet, we realize that most of us do not “behave” in the way we’d like to as the grown-ups all of the time. We realize there is something missing between our intentions and actions. We tell ourselves that we will try to do better next time, and then before we know it, we’re caught up in the same old pattern. Real-life couple Dr Vanessa Lapointe, R. Psych. and David Loyst, MSc have over 50 years of combined experience as professionals and parents. Hear what science and their experiences have taught them to create a revolutionary approach to child-raising. Hear their stories of success and failure and what that has taught them about raising resilient children. Come join us for an interactive learning experience to understand the needs of all children, and to reflect on your work with children and the challenges you face. Leave with tools so that you can begin the journey to becoming the caregiver you’ve always wanted to be.
WEBINAR OPTIONS AND PRICING
Let our team help to design the optimal online workshop package for your organization or school. We can work with the needs of your staff or community to ensure that your time with Dr Vanessa is as meaningful as possible. Ask about access to webinar recordings, follow-up emails with links to resources, and Professional Development certificate options.