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Chosen International Creative Ways to Connect and Heal with your Foster and Adopted Teens/Preteens with Trauma Histories. Linda Sheppard, MS, FLE. In this Workshop. How We Heal Effective Strategies Questions & Answers.
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Chosen InternationalCreative Ways to Connect and Heal with your Foster and Adopted Teens/Preteens with Trauma Histories
In this Workshop How We Heal Effective Strategies Questions & Answers
Connection over ObedienceOwn Your ChoicesName Your FeelingsNurture YourselfEvaluate Your PlanChange Things UpTake it to the Next Level
What we Have vs. What we Hope For • How many of us have completely happy and obedient foster or adopted teens or preteens?
How do we Find Creative Ways to Connect and Heal with our Teens? • Focus on Need over Behavior • Strengthen Relationship • Have Fun • Get Buy In • Adapt to Personality of Teen
Connection over Obedience Are we focused on obedience over connection? “ The plans of the diligent lead surely to abundance, but everyone who is hasty comes only to poverty” Proverbs 21:5
Traditional Parenting: See Negative Behavior & Create Rules Healing Parenting Strategy: Identify the Need & Strengthen Relationship
Galatians 2:20-21 says, “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing!”
What is in Our Toolbox? • Tangible ways to connect with our teens • Simple and easy to do • Teens Heal through Finding their Voice and Developing Relationship
Own Your Choices Give and take ownership God Grant me the Serenity to Accept the Things I cannot change , Change the Things I can, and the Wisdom to Know the Difference
What Can WE do? How are we showing our Teen that their WORDS matter & Change can happen?
Name Your Feeling “When you _______, I felt _________. What I need from you is ___________”. Teens will never heal until they find their Voice. • Find Your Script. Example: I’m strong, I’m smart, I’m happy
Nurture Yourself • Pace Yourself. • What is your daily, weekly, and monthly self care?
Evaluate your Plan • Is your bar too high? • Is your bar too low? • Are we still living in crisis mode? • Create ways to document success.
We mustintentionally ACT on our plan • Assess • How are we assessing? • Change • Tweak our plan continually • Time • When will we reassess? Weekly? Monthly?
Change Things Up • Be a Coach not a Warden. • Keep the momentum going. • How are we getting buy in?
Take it to the Next Level • Raise the Bar gradually. • “Tag” the progress. • Celebrate the Success!
Linda Sheppard, MS, FLE Adoption and Family Counseling Services (www.aafcs.net); Chosen International (www.choseninternational.org); adoptioncounseling.blogspot.com; International Mental Health Services (Trainings in Caribbean & Latin America, Offices in Haiti (Port au Prince & Tabarre) Oregon, and remote office via Skype)