Empowering Students through Teaching About Trauma, Stress, and Brain Regulation

Format

Individual Presentation

First Presenter's Institution

NeuroLogic® by Lakeside

First Presenter’s Email Address

kathyv@lakeside.net

First Presenter's Brief Biography

Kathy is a seasoned educator with over 40 years of experience as a licensed psychologist, teacher, and school counselor. She currently serves as the Executive Vice President at Lakeside and is the Founder of NeuroLogic® by Lakeside. Kathy also shares her expertise as a part-time professor in Eastern University's graduate school counseling department. Trained in the Neurosequential Model by the ChildTrauma Academy, she has spent a decade consulting and training school personnel, presenting at state, national, and international conferences. Her contributions to education include the publication of the curriculum "Realizing Brain Potential" for middle and high school students.

Submitter

I am submitting this proposal as one of the presenter(s)

Location

Scarbrough 2

Strand #1

Hands: Safety & Violence Prevention

Strand #2

Heart: Social & Emotional Skills

Relevance

This applies to Head, Heart, Hands, and Health- but Heart and Health stand out as teaching this information to students will help improve social and emotional skills by regulating the brain from the bottom up. Students knowing this information can have a significant impact on physical and mental health as well as on school culture. Students who have learned to regulate and calm their stress response can access their cortex to solve problems rationally rather than reacting from the lower levels of their brains.

Brief Program Description

All students are impacted by stress and can benefit by understanding their brains, their stress response, and strategies for regulation. This presentation will provide practical principles and ideas for teaching students strategies and skills for physical, emotional, and cortical regulation.

Summary

All students are impacted by stress and can improve learning through understanding the brain and brain regulation. For students who have experienced trauma, this information is critical to their success. In this presentation, I will provide guidelines, ideas, and strategies for teaching students key trauma-informed principles, including physical, emotional, and cortical regulation strategies. These principles and strategies can be taught to students individually or through group and classroom settings. I will share practical ideas and examples along with feedback through video of what has worked well for our students. Participants will leave with practical ideas that can be applied immediately.

Evidence

Everything presented has been proven to be successful in our 4 schools with our students. References this is based on are below:

Cox, A, Perry, B.D., and Frederico, M. (2021) Resourcing the System and Enhancing Relationships: Pathways to Positive Outcomes for Children Impacted by Abuse and Neglect. Child Welfare, Vol. 98, No. 6

Perry, B.D. and Szalavitz, M. (2017). The Boy Who Was Raised as a Dog: And Other Stories from a Child Psychiatrist’s Notebook. New York, NY: Basic Books.

Harris, N.B. (2018). The Deepest Well: Healing the Long-Term Effects of Childhood Adversity. New York, NY: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.

Van de Kolk, B.A. (2014) The Body Keeps Score: Brain, Mind and Body in the Healing of Trauma. New York, NY: Penguin Books.

Graner, S. & Perry, B.D. (2023) Translating the Six R’s for the Educational Setting (revised and updated from A ‘6Rs” Translational Template for Educators 2020). NMN Press, Houston

Learning Objective 1

Develop an excitement regarding the impact this information can have on students and schools.

Learning Objective 2

. Identify strategies for establishing a foundation of hope and an understanding of brain regulation

Learning Objective 3

Recognize key areas and opportunities for teaching about trauma, stress, and brain regulation within their setting.

Keyword Descriptors

Teaching, Brain, regulation, trauma, stress, hope, empowerment, success

Presentation Year

2025

Start Date

3-4-2025 8:30 AM

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Mar 4th, 8:30 AM

Empowering Students through Teaching About Trauma, Stress, and Brain Regulation

Scarbrough 2

All students are impacted by stress and can benefit by understanding their brains, their stress response, and strategies for regulation. This presentation will provide practical principles and ideas for teaching students strategies and skills for physical, emotional, and cortical regulation.