OVERCOMING SCHOOL REFUSAL TOGETHER

Proven Strategies with a Wrap-around Approach by Karen Young from Hey Sigmund

For an increasing number of young people, school anxiety is reaching levels that make school feel impossible, unsafe, and out of their reach. We know that ‘school refusal’, as it is commonly known, is not an intentional response. It’s anxiety. We also know that with the right strategies, support, and a holistic, collaborative, ‘wrap-around’ response, children can find their way back to feeling safe, strong, and happy at school. This workshop is designed to offer a sense of community and a compassionate, powerful way through for parents, educators, and students dealing with school ‘refusal’. We will explore proven, innovative strategies to support young people back to school. The pivotal component of this workshop involves evidence-based, practical strategies, information, and scripts for working with a child’s key adults in a collaborative approach.

We will explore:

• the common triggers in every school and home, even the best ones;
• how anxiety grows into school refusal;
• how to manage anxiety-fuelled behaviours in ways that preserve connection and influence;
• techniques for parents and teachers to move through resistance and avoidance, and facilitate engagement;
• what to do when children are disengaged and resistant;
• how to build high-quality relationships with all children that will strengthen against anxiety and school refusal, build brave behaviour, and minimise incidents of critical behaviour;
• how to respond to anxiety and resistance in the moment to make way for calm and courage;
• when children won’t get out of bed, the house, the car - what parents can do;
• when parents feel ‘stuck’ - moving past the impasse;
• when school comes with vomiting, sick tummies or sore tummies - why, and what to do;
• when peer relationships are tricky - the profoundly powerful way of working with bullying and strained peer relationships to build relational safety for all young people;
• the strategies that will strengthen all children against anxiety and build confidence and courage at school and beyond;
• the critical elements of ‘presence’ that children need from their parents;
• the three conditions necessary to facilitate school engagement and how to work with these;
• building the toolbox for students - practical strategies to feel safer in the presence of anxiety and open the way to brave behaviour.

Presented by: Karen Young founded the popular website, Hey Sigmund, attracting millions of readers each year worldwide and is author of the best selling, "Hey Warrior" book for young people with anxiety. She is a regular contributor to Parenting Magazine in New Zealand, and can often be heard on Australian radio and TV programs such as The Project and the ABC. Her articles have been translated into a numerous languages and her work has been published internationally on The Huffington Post, The Good Men Project, The Mighty, and Yahoo Health. She is a sought-after international speaker selling out events from New York to Newcastle. She has authored four books including, "Dear You Love from Your Brain", which helps children discover more about their brain. 

Audience: for education and mental health professionals at all levels & any professional that applies attachment theory and behavioural/developmental/neuro-science to their practice.

Education Professionals: All education professionals who work with children or youth including, but not limited to K–12 Classroom Teachers, School Counsellors, Learning Assistance/Resource Teachers, School Administrators, School Paraprofessionals including Special Education Assistants, Classroom Assistants and Early Childhood Workers and all other professionals who support behavioural challenges and complex learning needs.

Mental Health Professionals: All mental health professionals including, but not limited to Counsellors, Psychologists, Psychotherapists, Psychiatrists, Social Workers, Nurses, Occupational Therapists, Youth Workers, Mental Health Workers, Family Therapists, General Practitioners, and all other mental health professionals looking to enhance their therapeutic skills.

In-house Training: This workshop can also be delivered at your workplace, school or community. Contact us to ask how