Fostering and adoption is inherently a stressful process, for the support professionals, foster carers and adopters, and the children.
The changes in life patterns, the forming of new relationships, coping with ‘difficult’ behaviours, unrealistic expectations, and the emotional challenges, all require skills that benefit from mindfulness training.
How mindfulness helps
Mindfulness is a training that helps us to get in touch with our turbulent emotions, and learn to self-regulate, in a simple and accessible way.
Research in 2017* suggests that ‘high-quality, structured mindfulness instruction may mitigate the negative effects of stress and trauma related to adverse childhood exposures, improving short- and long-term outcomes’.
Foster carers and adoptive parents will typically have to help the children in their care through difficult transitions, and on-going psychological and behavioural issues. In doing this they will often experience difficult emotions themselves, or be faced with significant challenges.
Mindfulness is an excellent life skill both for carers and children, that addresses these difficulties, with practical self-development skills.
Why an online course?
The online training model allows people to log on and learn and practice the skills whenever and wherever they are, in bite-sized chunks.
The approach we take is based on a ‘little and often’ model. You learn things quickly, start applying them right away, and bring mindfulness into everyday activities. Once registered, you can go back to view the learning materials any time to re-learn, refresh or refine your experience.
The online platform contains all the videos, notes and mp3s; and none are longer than 5 minutes. The training focuses on integrating what’s been learned into the ‘real-life’ stress points people meet, so that one learns to pause, step back, get perspective and choose a compassionate response to difficulties, as they arise.
*The Role of Mindfulness in Reducing the Adverse Effects of Childhood Stress and Trauma, Robin Ortiz ( Johns Hopkins Hospital Balitmore) and Erica M. Sibinga (Johns Hopkins School of Medicine Baltimore) 2017
See this 3 minute video about the course:
On-going support
Once you've signed up, you can also join a private Facebook group where Simon gives free live-streamed mediations and answers questions, creating as supportive community. Stay in touch as long as you like.
And by the way...
Simon, the director and lead trainer of Mindful Work, is an adoptive parent of a child with complex needs and presentations. He has direct experience of the power of mindfulness practice to help take families through the difficult adjustments needed, and is keen to help others in this position.
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Total cost £90 - pay half now, half later.
7-day no quibble return if you don't like it.