Full Course Description

2-Day Experiential Workshop: Activity-Based Mindfulness for Kids:
Teach Attention, Emotional Balance & Compassion in Schools and Clinics

Program Information

Objectives

  1. Present an introduction to the theory and practice of mindful awareness in the classroom and the clinic.
  2. Teach practical, mindful tools that can be applied in your professional work with children, teens and families.
  3. Observe demonstrations of mindful games that impact attention, emotional balance and compassion in the classroom and the clinic.
  4. Explore age-appropriate, secular, mindful games and activities from the perspective of a child or teenager in small groups through role-play.
  5. Discern the connections between mindfulness, stress-reduction, attention, regulating emotion, regulating behavior, and learning.
  6. Determine ways to integrate mindfulness into existing programs and/or routines.
  7. Illustrate mindful awareness and its general applications in psychology and education.
  8. Present the Inner Kids evidence-based model and how it supports education and psychotherapy settings.
  9. Explore ways to integrate mindful life-skills into personal and professional life for self-care.
  10. Compile mindful strategies to ignore distractions & build flexible attention.
  11. Design mindful games and develop perspective talking.
  12. Incorporate mindful games to help strengthen the behavioral health of your clients.

Outline

INTRODUCTION:

  • An Exploration of the Inner Kids Model and Activity-Based Mindfulness
  • A fun, pragmatic approach to mindfulness and meditation using games to develop six essential life skills:
    • Quieting
    • Focusing
    • Seeing
    • Reframing
    • Caring & Connecting
  • Experience mindful games: lecture, demonstrations and dyads

DEMONSTRATIONS AND ROLE PLAY IN SMALL GROUPS

Quieting: Calming and Self-Regulation

  • Explore mindful strategies to:
    • Develop restraint
    • Release nervous energy
    • Calm and self-soothe
  • Experience a mindful activity: A Cooling Out-Breath, Shake It Up, and Gratitude Walk

Focusing: Attention and Concentration

  • Explore mindful strategies to develop:
    • Concentration
    • Help kids ignore distractions
    • Build steady, flexible attention
  • Experience mindful games/activities: Mindful Breathing, Counting Breaths, Tic-Toc, Slow and Silent Walking, and Visualizations

Seeing & Reframing: A Wise and Compassionate Worldview

  • Explore mindful strategies to explore:
    • Cause and effect
    • Develop perspective taking
    • Open-mindedness
    • Appreciation
  • Experience mindful games: Duck! Rabbit!, Pinky Pointing or Thumbs Game, Life is Good, and Three Good Things.

Caring & Connecting: Speaking and Acting with Wisdom and Compassion

  • Explore mindful strategies to develop:
    • Age-appropriate discernment
    • Self-care
    • Capacity to let go of old hurts and disappointments
    • Offer a roadmap for speaking and acting in a way that’s helpful to self and others
  • Experience mindful games: Is it Helpful?, The Three Gates, What Did I Hear?, Resting and Noticing, Stargazing, Pink Bubble

Target Audience

Counselors, Teachers/Educators, Marriage & Family Therapists, Nurses, Occupational Therapists & Occupational Therapy Assistants, Psychologists, Social Workers, Speech-Language Pathologists, and other Mental Health Professionals

Copyright : 11/30/2017