Breaking the Cycle of Intergenerational Trauma:
Helping Your Clients Heal Attachment Wounds Through Parent-Child Relationships
with Dafna Lender, LCSW
THIS PROGRAM HAS LIMITED APPROVAL FOR DISTANCE LEARNING CES. PLEASE CLICK ON THE SPECIFIC CE INFORMATION LINK BELOW FOR FULL PROFESSION/STATE DETAILS.
It is the participant's responsibility to check if their state is approved for CEs. No refunds will be given on CE purchases for failure to check state approval. Please click on the Specific CE Information link below for more details.
Dafna Lender, LCSW is an international trainer and supervisor for practitioners who work with children and families. She is a certified trainer and supervisor/consultant in both Theraplay and Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy (DDP), as well as an EMDR therapist. Dafna’s expertise is drawn from 25 years of working with families in many settings: at-risk after-school programs, therapeutic foster care, in-home crisis stabilization, residential care, and private practice. Dafna’s style, whether as a therapist or teacher, is combining the light-hearted with the profound by bringing a playful, intense, and passionate presence to every encounter. Dafna is the author of Integrative Attachment Family Therapy (2023) and the co-author of Theraplay the Practitioner’s Guide (2020). She teaches and supervises clinicians in 15 countries in 4 languages: English, Hebrew, French and Spanish.
Breaking the Cycle of Intergenerational Trauma
Course Content
Module 1 provides an introduction to intergenerational trauma, explaining what it is and why it's essential to address. It also covers the assessment process and how to engage with clients on this topic.
Module 2 explores the polyvagal theory and the autonomic ladder, helping therapists understand and manage strong emotional responses in parent-child interactions.
Module 3 focuses on uncovering non-conscious beliefs and using experiential exercises to promote self-compassion in clients, ultimately enhancing their ability to connect with their children.
Module 4 introduces the PACE Attitude, a technique for improving parent-child communication by fostering empathy and connection. It offers practical guidance and scenarios for therapists to help their clients build healthier relationships with their children while reflecting on the broader impact on their clients' own childhood experiences.
Breaking the Cycle of
Intergenerational Trauma
with Dafna Lender, LCSW
Course Agenda
Module 1: Making the Case/Setting the Stage - Pre-recorded Videos - 35 Minutes
In this module, we will define what intergenerational trauma is. We’ll discuss the rationale and motivation for offering an adult client who is also a parent the opportunity to focus on their relationship with their child as a way of interrupting the cycle of intergenerational trauma.
Part 1 - Making the Case (theoretical)
Part 2 - An Overview of Intergenerational Trauma
Part 3 - Assessment: Who is it for, and When?
Part 4 - Proposing & Contracting with the Client (How to)
Part 5 - The Process
In this session, we will discuss:
● What is intergenerational trauma so you can recognize and understand its power
● How focusing on the relationship with a client’s child will help your client feel better, happier, and more satisfied with their own life
● Who and when this intervention would be appropriate so you can introduce it to clients
● How to introduce this intervention to clients so you can help them transform their attachment wounds
Module 2: Nervous System Responses to the Client's Child - Pre-recorded Videos - 51 Minutes
In this module, you will learn about how the polyvagal theory helps us understand our strong negative emotions of fight, flight, and collapse. We will use the concept of the autonomic ladder to “map out” our reactions to our children in different conflictual or stressful circumstances. Then, we will learn how to respond to these states with calming techniques. A live demonstration will be shown.
Part 1 - Overview of polyvagal theory
Part 2 - Introduction to the Autonomic Ladder
Part 3 - Mapping your Autonomic Ladder
Part 4 - Analysis and Discussion
Part 5 - Synthesis - Making Sense of What We've Learned
In this session, we will discuss:
● The polyvagal theory so you can understand why parents have strong negative responses to their child
● How to map out your own autonomic ladder to increase your self-awareness
● How to interpret the exercise so you can help clients become more familiar with their negative responses and develop skills to calm them
Module 3: Working with Non-Conscious Beliefs - Pre-recorded Videos - 33 Minutes
In this module, you will learn to help clients uncover the sensations that they have in their body as well as their non-conscious beliefs when they are in a conflictual situation with their child. Then, we will learn the practice of installing a message of self-compassion with an experiential ritual. This will be demonstrated by a live example. We will then discuss how this helps the client to become calmer and more grounded so they can connect with their child more effectively.
Part 1 - Becoming Aware of Non-Conscious Beliefs as Parents
Part 2 - Developing Messages of Self-Compassion
Part 3 - Experiential Exercise/Meditation: Changing Non-conscious Beliefs
In this module, you will learn to help clients uncover the sensations that they have in their body as well as their non-conscious beliefs when they are in a conflictual situation with their child. Then, we will learn the practice of installing a message of self-compassion with an experiential ritual. This will be demonstrated by a live example. We will then discuss how this helps the client to become calmer and more grounded so they can connect with their child more effectively.
In this session, you will:
● Become aware of negative body sensations that arise when parents are in conflict with their child
● Discover your non-conscious negative beliefs so you can work consciously with them
● Practice an experiential exercise that will install a message of self-compassion within yourself
● Learn how to use that exercise to help calm and ground your clients so that they can be more available to connect with their child
Module 4: Successful Parent-Child Communication - Pre-recorded Videos - 1 hour
In this module, you will learn how to guide clients to have more connected and peaceful conversations with their children, no matter their age. Therapists will learn about the PACE Attitude, which is a technique for conducting a successful conversation with a child. The PACE Attitude focuses on being an empathic and connected listener rather than giving advice, reassurance, or explanations to a child. Examples will be given for various types of interactions with children of various ages.
Part 1 - The PACE Attitude
Part 2 - How to Practice and Apply Pace
Part 3 - Troubleshooting when Things go Wrong
Part 4 - Facilitating In-Session Parent-Child Communication
Part 5 - Case Example and Conclusion
In this session, you will:
● Learn about the PACE Attitude and how you can apply it
● Become familiar with various uses and types of scenarios of the Attitude so it becomes an easily-used tool for you
● Develop ways for clients to experiment with the Attitude so you can troubleshoot if they aren’t sure they’ve done it right
● Integrate all of the techniques together so you can build a healing and connected relationship with a client and their child
● Reflect on how improving the relationship between parent and child helps adults with their own childhood history
Breaking the Cycle of Intergenerational Trauma
with Dafna Lender, LCSW
Learning Objectives
- Describe the type of client who would benefit from the intergenerational healing approach
- Name 3 sources of Intergenerational Trauma
- Describe the 3 states of the polyvagal ladder
- Explain the process of identifying the negative body sensations that arise when parents are in a conflict with their child
- Carry out the process of helping parents of non-conscious beliefs as parents
- Identify messages of self-compassion in clients
- Name the four attitudes of PACE and describe their role in creating healthy connections
For intermediate mental health professionals including Social Workers, LPCs, and LMFTs.
Continuing Education Credits
To receive Distance Learning/Home Study continuing education credit, applicants must complete all course materials, purchase the CEs, submit an evaluation form, and pass a post-test with a score of 80% or greater. It is the responsibility of the attendee to determine if the CE credit offered by Academy of Therapy Wisdom meets the regulations of their state licensing/certification board.
Cost
There is a CE Processing Fee of $15 for the Distance Learning CEs, which will be available for purchase after the entire course has been completed.
CONTINUING EDUCATION CREDITS OFFERED:
Psychology: Not offered for this training.
Counseling:
Academy of Therapy Wisdom has been approved by NBCC as an Approved
Continuing Education Provider, ACEP No. 7370. Programs that do not qualify for NBCC credit are clearly identified. Academy of Therapy Wisdom is solely responsible for all aspects of the programs. This program is approved for 3 CE Credit hours.
Social Work: This program has been approved for 3 Distance Learning Social Work Continuing Education hours for relicensure, in accordance with 258 CMR. NASW-MA Chapter CE Approving Program, Authorization Number D92181.
Marriage/Family Therapy: See below for CAMFT information.
California Professionals:
Academy of Therapy Wisdom, Provider #1032323, is approved by the California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists to sponsor continuing education for LMFTs, LCSWs, and LPCCs. Academy of Therapy Wisdom maintains responsibility for this program/course and its content. This course meets the qualifications for 3 hours of continuing education for LMFTs, LCSWs, LPCCs, as required by the California Board of Behavioral Sciences.
This course is $127. You can purchase it here.
Cancellation
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After 7 days from your date of purchase, you will no longer be eligible for a refund and will be responsible for the payment in full.
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