Making Mindfulness Stick with Children, Teens, & Families

 September 23, 2016

A Continuing Education Event - Offering 6 CEs

Join bestselling author, psychologist, and consultant Dr. Christopher Willard in this fun and engaging workshop on adapting mindfulness for individuals and groups, young and old, in therapeutic, educational, medical, and other settings.

Space is limited, register early!

 ***Early Bird Discount: $25 off if you register before August 23rd 

Pre-registering offers significant savings.

(Continental breakfast, lunch, mid-morning, and mid-afternoon refreshments are included)

Register Now! 

Friday - September 23, 2016

Making Mindfulness Stick with Children, Teens, and Families

Presented by: Christopher Willard, Psy.D.

 

8:30 am - 9:00 am Registration

9:00 am - 4:30 pm (6 CEs) (lunch and refreshments included)

Description:

Dr. Willard will be sharing proven practices that can be used by therapists, educators, and others looking for practical and creative ways to share mindfulness and contemplative practices with others. Mindfulness is more than just breathing, and so is this workshop. Participants should be prepared for a fun day learning and practicing mindfulness through awareness, movement, games, play, and creative activities for all ages.

This practical workshop will focus on adapting mindfulness for individuals and groups, young and old, in therapeutic, educational, medical, and other settings. Special emphasis will be placed on getting young people to buy in, as well as on nurturing mindfulness in their daily lives. It will also explore the importance of our own practice, starting or deepening our own mindful self-care as caregivers. It will cover strategies for starting mindfulness programs in larger institutions, such as schools and hospitals, with special attention given to harnessing the power of technology and social media.

Learning will take the form of lecture, video, case presentations, small group, and dyad activities, as well as experiential activities, with ample time for question and answer and discussion with colleagues. Illustrations and case studies from inner-city schools to leafy college campuses, from Harvard Medical School to teen meditation retreats, bring the instruction to life.

Learning differences, cultural differences, and developmental differences, not to mention settings like classrooms or offices, all affect how children learn best; and this workshop explores ways to adapt mindfulness to the individual and setting, rather than a one-size fits all approach. It will also cover how to tailor techniques to a range of presenting issues, including: depression, anxiety, ADHD, executive function challenges, addiction, impulse control difficulties, trauma, and stress.  Different practices will engage different learning styles through arts, sports, games, music, technology, and more, for attention spans ranging from 30 seconds to 30 minutes.  

Objectives:

Following this workshop, participants will be able to:

•  Explain the basic definition of mindfulness
•  Describe scientific research underlying mindfulness based interventions
•  Discuss how mindfulness affects the physiology of the fight/flight stress response
•  Conceptualize and apply simple adaptations of mindfulness practices for youth
•  Utilize mindfulness practices both in and outside of clinical sessions

About the Speaker: Dr. Christopher Willard is a psychologist and educational consultant based in the Boston area specializing in mindfulness-based work with adolescents and young adults. He holds teaching appointments at Harvard Medical School and leads workshops both nationally and internationally. Dr. Willard has been practicing meditation for over 15 years. His thoughts on mental health have been featured in The New York Times, cnn.com, and elsewhere. He is the author of Child’s Mind (2010), Co-Editor of Teaching Mindfulness to Children and Teens (2015), and Growing Up Mindful (2016) along with four other upcoming books. Dr. Willard is on the board of directors of the Mindfulness in Education Network and The Institute for Meditation and Psychotherapy.

 

Register Now!

More Information

Cancellation policy: Refunds, minus a 35% cancellation fee, will be issued for all cancellations received two weeks prior to the start of the course (on or before September 9, 2016).  No refunds or vouchers will be made thereafter.  No shows are not refunded. 

Inclement weather policy: In the event that NHPA has to postpone or reschedule the training conference, a voucher equivalent to the full price amount of what was paid for the conference, will be issued.  If NHPA has to cancel the event with no postponement or reschedule date, a full refund will be given.  Please be sure that NHPA has your up-to-date contact information (email/text/phone).  Any weather cancellations or postponements will be made no later than three hours prior to an event.  Should you have questions or concerns about whether an event may be changed due to weather, please check the NHPA website or call our office at (603) 415-0451. 

Full attendance is required to obtain CEs.  No partial credit will be given.