When my family grew through adoption over ten years ago, I thought I was prepared to parent children from hard places. . . but I was wrong. Every strategy in my parenting toolbox seemed to fail my two precious children, and everyone else in the house. Everything changed when I realized that fear looked very different than I expected and building trust had to become my first priority. This vital shift helped my children feel safer and make better decisions, and, honestly, helped me yell a lot less.

Through personal stories, humor, and accessible neuroscience, this presentation will help caregivers and professionals explore the impact of disrupted attachment, trauma, and brain plasticity while learning practical, trust-based approaches that help children and teens feel safe enough to connect, regulate, and grow. Because parenting children with complex backgrounds effectively is rarely intuitive, attendees will leave with a fresh perspective, practical tools, and hope in the overwhelm.