THE IMPORTANCE OF CONNECTION AND HOW TO BUILD A MEANINGFUL RELATIONSHIP WITH YOUR CHILD

This is not another workshop about parenting advice or one that outlines yet another list of skills or strategies you need to acquire to be the “perfect” parent. This is a workshop that focusses on understanding connection in human relationships – specifically the critical importance of connection in parent-child relationships. It focusses on the WHY and the HOW TO. We will take a deeper dive into a positive parenting model that really works, called Connected Parenting. Connected Parenting helps parents understand that a few adjustments in how they interact with, and respond to their child, can dramatically impact their relationship in the short and long term.  Parents who practice Connected Parenting experience greater calm and confidence, especially when a child’s behaviour is most challenging and triggering. Children in turn feel heard, loved and understood.  A win-win. You will learn more about Anxiety - one of the most common mental health concerns children and youth are experiencing today. Specifically, you will learn how to recognize signs and symptoms (it’s not always obvious!) and what is most and least effective to do and not do.  Most importantly, you will learn how to help your child shift from a place of fear or avoidance of anxiety, to a place of understanding and how to live with, and manage anxiety.

WHAT IS CONNECTED PARENTING?

Connected Parenting, developed and founded by Jennifer Kolari, is a parenting methodology, a philosophy that falls under the umbrella term of Positive Parenting. Connected Parenting shares techniques that therapists use to help parents soothe their child. It helps to enhance the parent-child bond and is based on the understanding that correcting and guiding behavior works best when it is preceded by and linked to empathy. At the heart of this parenting model is the CALM Technique which helps parents accurately attune to a child’s experience. These empathic interactions release reward chemicals in the brain that stimulate positive emotions and increase order and balance in the nervous system. Reward chemicals, including natural opiates, endorphins, and a powerful hormone called oxytocin, reduce and inhibit stress hormones and bathe the brain in positive emotions that ripple through every cell in the body. The benefits of empathy and compassion have a strong base in science that cannot be underestimated.  Simply put, it is brain food, the emotional nutrition all of us need, perhaps our children most of all. Although many parenting techniques stress the importance of empathy, Connected Parenting will show you how to use it skillfully to repair frayed bonds, deescalate tantrums, contain and correct difficult behaviors and help your child to become more confident and emotionally resilient. We use a collaborative and supportive coaching model and provide inspirational, easy-to-understand techniques grounded in neuroscience and attachment. Connected Parenting will bring out the best in you and your child.

WHAT CAN YOU EXPECT TO LEARN FROM THIS WORKSHOP?

• The important role connection, love and empathy play in our relationships and the brain-heart connection, based on the Connected Parenting philosophy.

• How to effectively connect with a child, and the beauty of what can come after.

• How to best support your child’s mental health and build emotional resilience in ourselves and our children.

DO YOU HAVE PARENTING QUESTIONS?

Please send them in advance to Parent Ed Coordinators Kerry kerrymthomps@gmail.com or Julia  juliaobyrne@gmail.com or include them in your registration and Ulrica wll address your questions during the workshop.

YOUR FACILITATOR

Ulrica Jobe

Parent Coach, Child & Family Counsellor, Connected Parenting Therapist, Founder of True Compass

Honours BA, Psychology and Family Science

MEd, Developmental Psychology and Education, OISE University of Toronto

Ulrica is a passionate educator, counsellor, coach, speaker and workshop facilitator who works with parents, children, families and educators.  Ulrica is the founder of True Compass, an organization with a mission to support social emotional learning, provide family coaching and counselling services. Ulrica’s warmth and compassion set the stage for everyone to feel at ease, gain trust and be motivated to explore new perspectives.  Ulrica has worked as a Sexual Health Educator facilitating workshops with children, adolescents and parents. Ulrica has been trained in the Centred Leadership model and obtained her MEd in Developmental Psychology and Education at OISE, with a specialization in Mental Health. Ulrica brings valuable skills, knowledge and experience to her work with True Compass and Connected Parenting.  Ulrica has been trained and mentored by Jennifer Kolari in the Connected Parenting methodology and incorporates many of the evidence-based research done by Dan Siegel (interpersonal neurobiology), Gordon Neufeld (attachment), Carol Dweck (growth mindset), Gabor Mate (trauma informed practices), Kristin Neff (self-compassion), Jon Kabat Zinn (mindfulness), Martin Seligman (positive psychology), Norman Garbezy (resilience) and Ross Greene (collaborative and proactive solutions) into her practice. Through Ulrica’s coaching and counselling, clients will be encouraged to celebrate their successes while embracing the messiness of life. Clients who work with Ulrica will leave their sessions and workshops with confidence and practical solutions to learn, grow and thrive as a human.   Ulrica lives in Toronto with her partner, Dan, and her daughter, Caia.