How Self-Compassion as an Anchor in These Times can Help Improve Outcomes for System-Involved Youth

Vickie Chang, PhD

Training Description

This training focuses on the importance of self-compassion in healing for foster youth or system-involved youth. Given our nature as mammals, our connection to emotional warmth and touch is critical for our ability to thrive. In the absence of nurturing caregivers during childhood, we are left to meet these basic human needs ourselves. With a blend of research, practice, and connection, we will explore how we can strengthen system-involved youth (SIY) and/or caregiver capacity to give and receive self-compassion, as a powerful path towards healing.

Learning Objectives

· Compare and Explain elements of three research studies about self-compassion.

· Identify three benefits of self-compassion practice for system-involved youth and families.

· Acquire three self-compassion strategies which can be utilized with system-involved youth and those that serve and support them.

Agenda

3:00-3:15pm Provide grounding and hear what participants are hoping to learn from this training.

3:15-3:30pm Share research on self-compassion and its connection to mindful self-awareness and mental health for system-involved youth and their families.

3:30-3:45pm Share evolutionary basis of self-compassion practices, including the mammalian brain.

3:45-4:00pm Share practices for self-compassion in daily life for system-involved youth.

4:00-4:15pm Share mindful awareness practices and discuss importance of social support in facilitating change in system-involved youth, connected to self-compassion.

4:15-4:30pm Break out groups around barriers to practicing self-compassion in system-involved youth and if inspired, commitment to practicing three strategies.

4:30-4:45pm Harvest lessons learned together. Discuss the role of trauma in attachment, self- care, self-compassion practices for system-involved youth.

4:45am-5:00pm Answer questions and offer support for practicing skills in daily life as well as concrete steps to move towards healing using self-compassion practices.

Meet Our Trainer

The daughter of Northern Chinese immigrants, Dr. Vickie Chang (she/her) was born and raised in the SF Bay Area. In her work as a psychologist, writer, and group facilitator, she is committed to personal and collective liberation. She is passionate about climate justice and supporting BIPOC/API healing in a variety of ways, including working with activist groups. For more on her background, see www.vickiechangphd.com.

This course meets the qualifications for (2.0) BBS CE hours for LCSWs, LMFTs, LPCCs, and LEPs as required by the California Board of Behavioral Sciences & is provided by Fred Finch Youth Center, CAMFT Provider #045295.