Welcome

to my blog, Connect thru Love. My postings will be about changing the parenting paradigm from consequences and control, which do NOT, I believe, have long term effects on behavior, to a love based teaching/living model. And what i appreciate most about this model, even from my very right-brained perspective, is that it is based on neuroscience and what and how the brain processes experiences. And though I am a therapist, when I work with families who are encountering difficult behaviors in their children, I am an educator and a coach to the parents.

I invite you to not only read, but to comment and ask questions regarding behaviors you are encountering with your children. And if you are a teacher, counselor/therapist, or case manager, I would love to hear from you as well.

To ask a question, please email me at connecthrulove@gmail.com
or simply post it in the comment section.

Tuesday, September 7, 2010

Facebook

I want to announce my new facebook page which I hope will draw comments about my postings. It can be found by searching for Challenging Children. I had hoped to call it Connect Thru Love, but a very wise friend pointed out that I might be getting "hits" on the site that would be quite unwelcome. I will continue the blog, of course, and perhaps draw more people here as well as to facebook.

Monday, September 6, 2010

Taking the Lead

Saw a terrific film last night that so speaks to emotional regulation that I just had to write at least one thing about it this morning. The movie is called "Taking the Lead" and it is about Pierre Dulaine who has brought the concept of teaching ballroom dancing to school children. And Peter Dulaine is a real person who did do this in a New York school, I believe in l994. He brought his concept to the inner city and to kids who deal with the stress and traumas of life every single day. And not only in true Hollywood fashion, but in real life fashion of what it really takes, he was able to get through to many of the children and help make changes in their lives. And his formula seems to be quite simple really: he wants to create a safe place, have clear boundaries, have a teacher who is fully present with his/her students all of the time he is with them and most importantly have respect and compassion. WOW! And in doing all of this, Mr. Dulaine is calming the stress and diminishing the negative behavior.