Parenting Human Beings

Heather Ferguson, MA brings compassion, humour and cutting-edge neuroscience to the heroic quest of our time -- how to raise resilient children. Through the lens of evidence-based developmental and relationship theory, she guides parents and professionals to a deeper understanding of the roots of children's challenging and troubling behaviour. Heather is a faculty member of the Neufeld Institute and a Clinical Counsellor who works with adults, adolescents and couples in person and via Skype in her Vancouver Island-based practice. A steadfast advocate for children and the adults who seek to understand them, Heather has a warm and playful approach. Adults leave her courses, presentations and sessions heartened and ready to lead struggling children towards emotional health and well-being.https://heatherfergusonconsulting.com/

Demon slayer and survivor is the first thing that comes to mind when I look back at where I was and where I am today. I was able to slay the demons that almost took me to a permanent dark hole. But here I am 20 plus years later able to talk about it and share my story so others know they are not only not alone, but they too can come out from the darkness that is threatening their very existence. Although over the years it has gotten easier to talk about it, the embarrassment and stigma continue. Instead of tapping into the stigma I have chosen to look at my depression as another layer of who I am and without it I would not be who I am today. I continue to slay my demons, for me they never truly go away. I know they are always lurking, so I can never let my sword down.

Ernestina Malheiro, M.A., Learning & TechnologyTrauma-Informed Curriculum & Instructional Designer, Founder of Uplift Learning Inc.Ernestina's lived experience with resilience and trauma has inspired her vision of creating a kinder and more compassionate society that is Trauma-Informed. As a Curriculum and Instructional Designer, she's had the privilege of working with dozens of subject matter experts. They've varied from elders, scientists, surgeons, storytellers, researchers, mental health professionals, nurses and refugees - just to name a few. Since 2018 she's focused on mental health education after realizing the healthcare system was traumatic for patients and practitioners alike. She's spent thousands of hours exploring trauma and resilience in her graduate research.She's strategized and implemented e-learning for organizations with 25,000 to 90,000 employees over the last 20 years. Her clients come from dozens of different specialties. Ernestina has developed and delivered training about anti-bullying, human rights, trauma-informed cultural competency, and trauma-informed care for educators, physicians, nurses and frontline staff. Early on in her career she developed curriculum with survivors of genocide (Treaty 6,7,8, Rwanda and Bosnia). She's delivered trauma education to staff and clients in an Indigenous focused treatment center. She's supporting updated practice standards by teaching educators, health and wellness professionals about ‘Building Resilience Through Trauma-informed Practice'. www.upliftlearningonline.ca

Michelle was diagnosed with depression and anxiety at an early age and struggled with the compression of these diagnoses, until expressing her stories through art and speaking openly about her experiences with others. She realized that she was not alone when painting her Mental Health Series had brought forth others, seeking understanding of their own battles. She sells her original Mental Health paintings and prints at Renewed Resilience in Leduc, and fills her time volunteering with the Arts Foundry & Block50 Leduc.www.freebirdillustrations.com

Karen is a mom of two. Her daughter is 11 and her son is 9. She works as an Infant Development Consultant, supporting children birth to three that have a diagnosed disability or they are at risk for developmental delay. Karen is a Neufeld Facilitator and she is passionate about development and the conditions needed to reach our full potential.

Hi, my name is Julie Kiefert! I am currently working towards attaining my social work degree and am eligible to be a registered social worker in about a month. I am currently completing my second year practicum with FCSS Leduc County and am happy to be part of such a wonderful team! I grew up in rural Alberta in a town called Wetaskiwin and grew to become passionate about both mental health and addiction. I have personal and professional experience with depression and I hope you enjoy a bit of my story in this episode!

Heather has always been talented in the fine arts, which has provided an outlet for her thoughts and feelings to be communicated on canvas. Being depressed and having anxiety for the better part of her life, she has faced many unsurmountable challenges she has attempted to overcome. From studying in three different art schools to being bed-ridden with depression, Heather has always had art as a constant in her life, helping her navigate the hills and valleys life presents to her. She has always found comfort expressing herself through her paintings.

My name is Courtney Risser and I'm 25 years old. I pride myself in knowing that I'm a supportive and dedicated friend to many, co-worker, daughter, sister and dog mom to 2 Siberian huskies named Whiskey and Jack. I'm a new graduate from Athabasca University with a bachelor's degree in Human Resources and Labour Relations. I aspire to become a labour relations officer which will allow me to ensure greater equity in workplaces thereby improving the daily lives of many. I'm passionate about sports, weights, the great outdoors, cooking and all things personal development. Although I have been blessed with a very fortunate upbringing and life in general, I still struggle with both depression and anxiety. My hope is that by being transparent about my mental health struggles, it will comfort others who feel the same and inspire them to speak out and seek help.

Laurie is a social worker who is passionate about mental health, connecting with people, and providing a listening ear. She is currently working on her Master's in Clinical Social Work with a specialization in community health and well-being. Outside of work and school, Laurie enjoys spending time with her dog and her friends, singing in a choir, and travelling. When she has spare time, she loves listening to music and podcasts (including Brené Brown's podcasts, The Place We Find Ourselves, and Dear Hank and John to name a few) and practicing creativity through hand-lettering.

Nev (she/her) is a human living with trauma in this traumatic world. She continues to work towards healing through multiple modalities. She is a health care provider and advocate for preventative and trauma informed care and believe in the benefit of supporting parents to decrease stress and trauma for new generations. She is an audiophile and is always listening to something. She lives in Alberta with her spouse, child and two cats.

Jamie Thiessen is a non-binary queer human who has experienced both depression and anxiety since childhood. They strive to understand and live with these issues gently, and believe that radical acceptance and understanding are key to living as best as possible with mental health issues. Jamie is an active advocate in the world of equity, justice, and belonging. Outside of work, Jamie spends their time with their cat, Rover, and various other foster animals, gardening, and introspecting.

I'm a writer and wonderer, teacher and mental health advocate, a mother and a craftswoman. My passion is bringing dignity, warmth and understanding to those 'not beautiful' places in us that feel perplexing, maddening, and misunderstood. I call this Growing Humankindness.Growing Humankindness arose from two things: from bearing witness to the beauty, courage, and persistent love of other people's journeys through shame, loss, eating disorders, depression, and anxiety, and from my own experiences through these gates of grief.My 20 years of eating disorders - and the ways they perplexed, saddened, and silenced me - sent me on a journey of understanding into attachment theory, grief, healing, self compassion, and interpersonal neurobiology. That journey eventually became the cradle of my work as a mother, woman and writer.If I had to describe in a sentence how Growing Humankindness offers her particular medicine to the world, it would be thus: may we soften our hearts towards what we fear, misunderstand, and shame, in ourselves and in one another.May we hold our human vulnerability within our hearts.May we see our noble beauty.The word that best conveys this softening is respect, a word whose origins are rooted in ‘seeing with new eyes.' As poet John O' Donohue so beautifully said, “when we approach things with reverence, they have powerful ways of approaching us.”And so I wonder: what rises to meet us when we offer reverence to those things that we most fear in ourselves, and in others?Breath by breath, my wish is that we may embody our wholeness – our deeper story – and live from this knowing. I believe that listening to each other's stories and witnessing the vulnerable courage of each other is one of the most powerful ways we can soften what divides us, both within and without. And so I bend my knee towards these stories in many forms.I write books, courses, and a reader supported newsletter, O Nobly Born; teach classes, and offer talks and poems to nurture a more tender world. I love to dive into the depths of poetry and soul, and as a craftswoman, I do as much as possible with my body and my hands. I'm currently writing a book about reframing and embracing the vulnerability that lives underneath overeating and other food compulsions. You can find me at Growinghumankindness.com and in Austin, Texas, where I tend my ancestors and my family alongside beautiful oak trees.

Dr. Jane A. Simington, Ph. D., is the owner of Taking Flight International Corporation, Taking Flight Books and the developer of both the Trauma Recovery Certification Program and the Grief Support Certification Program. As a therapist and professor, she combines her professional background in both Nursing and Psychology, with her own experiences of grief, trauma, growth and transformation, along with an extensive knowledge of energy-transfer-healing, dream interpretation, art and guided imagery to help and heal people of both genders, across the life span, and across cultures.Dr. Simington is a frequent keynote and conference presenter, focusing on her research and clinical interests in change and transition, dying, grief and trauma, holistic health, personal empowerment, spiritual well-being and team building with spirit. Jane is committed to giving powerful and impactful presentations that leave her audiences feeling inspired and with a solid take-away message to put into immediate action.Jane’s work is featured in her internationally sold books, Journey to the Sacred: Mending a Fractured Soul, and Through Soul’s Eyes: Reinventing a Life of Joy and Promise, the booklet,Responding Soul to Soul , the award winning films, Listening to Soul Pain, and Healing Soul Pain, and on the CD’s Journey to Healing, Releasing Ties, Cloaked in Joy, Shielded with Light,Retrieving Lost Soul Parts and Reintegrating Parts of the Self . Her books have been published in Spanish and also translated into German.Dr. Jane A. Simington is the recipient of CARNA’s Lifetime Achievement in Nursing, May, 2012, 2011 YWCA Woman of Distinction for Health & Medicine, 2011 Global Television’s Woman of Vision and profiled as the “Nurse to Know” in the Canadian Nurse Journal, June, 2011.

Michele is a grand-daughter, a daughter, a sister, an aunt, a niece, a cousin, a wife, and a mother. She started life in the Canadian prairies, and moved to British Columbia as an adult where she has lived for the past 25 years, other than two years she spent in Ontario completing her Master's degree. She works as a couple and family therapist in private practice in Langley, British Columbia. Michele is a singer and enjoys recreation in the outdoors with friends and family. She enjoys making things with her hands, cooking, and traveling. Michele has 30 years experience providing counselling for individuals, couples and families. She works in private practice in a beautifully restored heritage building in Langley, British Columbia. Michele offers courses for small groups (up to 12) on site, or for larger groups off site. Michele is a Parent Consultant, part of the virtual campus leadership team, and a Faculty Intern with the Neufeld Institute.Visit her website at http://resiliencecft.com/langley-counselling-services/

This podcast episode features Jennifer Summerfeldt’s recorded lecture from the Into the Heart of Trauma Conference in Edmonton (April 8-10, 2019) entitled Healing After Birth - A Trauma Informed Perspective in Postpartum Health. Jennifer Summerfeldt, Master of Arts in Counselling Psychology (MACP), has nearly two decades of experience in maternal health and psychology. In addition to being a counsellor, Jennifer has also been a childbirth advocate, maternal educator, doula, midwifery apprentice and published writer. She is the founder and creator of the Healing After Birth program, where she uses her expertise and voice to help advance the dialogue on motherhood, mental health, and healing. To learn more about Jennifer, visit www.jennifersummerfeldt.com.

Links to the videos played in presentation: Inside Out: Sadness helps Riley https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ISaHt3ps1dM Inside Out: Sadness Comforts Bing Bong https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QT6FdhKriB8

My name is Amy Walton. I am a happily married mother of two daughters, and I hold a Master’s degree in Counselling Psychology. Prior to beginning graduate studies, I spent nine years as a full-time, stay-at-home mom. Those rich years have solidified my views on the centrality of attachment, and the key role that relationships play in our day to day lives.I have come to see the counselling process as a powerful vehicle for change, and believe in the healing potential of a safe, caring and authentic therapeutic space. I believe that we all have a story that is worthy of sharing, and I consider bearing witness to another person’s experiences a tremendous privilege. I tend to gravitate toward counselling models which emphasize mindfulness, self-compassion, and somatic awareness, and I work to increase these elements in my own life as well. I believe in the wisdom of our bodies, and our tremendous potential (and indeed orientation) toward healing and restoration. Alongside counselling individuals, couples, and families, I had the transformative experience of co-facilitating a grief support group with our own Eugena Maguire. Eugena and I bonded immediately over our shared loved (and in my case crazy fandom) of Dr. Gordon Neufeld, and our professional relationship and personal friendship has flourished ever since. She is not only a joy to be with; she is an embodiment of authenticity, warmth and grace. Thanks Eugena, for having me.

Dr. Jody Carrington is a Clinical Psychologist who has spent most of her career working with children and families who have experienced trauma. Growing up on a farm in rural Alberta, Canada, and after 13 years of post-secondary education, she took her first job on the Mental Health Inpatient Units of the Alberta Children’s Hospital in Calgary. It was during those 10 years that she learned the most about kids, families, relationships, and the vital importance of connection. Today, she is back living in a rural setting, managing a private practice, raising a family, speaking around the country about relationships, connection and her new book, “Kids These Days”. Jody passionately believes in the power of the relationship with the people we love, lead, and teach. Her favourite thing on the planet to do is to speak with educators – they have the power to change the trajectory of a life every single day. It’s time, she believes, that we need to start focusing less on kids these days, and more on those of you who hold them every day. The core of everything she speaks and writes about comes down to this: we are wired to do hard things. We can do those hard things so much easier when we remember this: we are wired for connection.www.drjodycarrington.com

Dr. Deborah MacNamara is the author of the best-selling book Rest, Play, Grow: Making Sense of Preschoolers (or anyone who acts like one), is on Faculty at the Neufeld Institute, and is the Director of Kid’s Best Bet, a Counselling and Family Resource Center. Her book Rest, Play, Grow has been translated into the Russian language with Italian, and German versions to follow. Deborah is a dynamic teacher and experienced counsellor who makes developmental science come to life in the everyday context of home and classroom. She also provides counselling services to parents and professionals to make sense of learning, behavioural, and developmental issues in kids – from babies to teens. Deborah travels nationally and internationally, speaking to child and adolescent development issues to groups including the United Nations and the Dalai Lama Center for Peace and Education. With over 60 presentations a year to groups including parents, educators, child care professionals, social workers, foster and adopt community, and health care professionals, Deborah shares her insight and passion for making sense of kids. She is a developmentalist at heart who is continually fascinated by the mysteries and beauty inherent in human maturation.

Eugena W. Maguire is a social worker and former “struggling” foster parent, whose goal in creating the PHB podcast is to help parents gain insight so they can feel empowered as the answer to their children. Limping into adulthood and trying to make sense of her own childhood, Eugena fatefully stumbled upon the work of Dr. Gordon Neufeld and others, ultimately bringing her into her current role: helper, healer, facilitator and curious journey companion to parents, educators and any adults who care about kids. Eugena offers parenting coaching and is the organizer of the Into the Heart of Trauma Conference for parents and professionals. In this first episode Eugena relays her intent for wanting to serve parents with the PHB podcast and invites your questions for future segments via email at eugena@parentinghumanbeings.com. Happy listening!