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Program Outline for Mental Health and Wellness Professionals
This detailed program outline provides an overview of the structure and content of all 16 episodes in Reparenting the Inner Child. It is designed to help you navigate the material, understand key learning objectives, and integrate the knowledge into your professional practice.
Episode 1: Introduction to the Program and the Inner Child
Overview:
- Introduction to the course and its purpose
- Understanding the significance of childhood trauma in shaping adult lives
- Overview of ACEs (Adverse Childhood Experiences) and PACEs (Protective and Compensatory Experiences)
- Establishing a compassionate, research-based approach to reparenting the inner child
Key Topics Covered:
- Why understanding childhood trauma matters in therapy
- How ACEs shape neurobiology, emotional patterns, and relationship dynamics
- PACEs as an essential framework for healing and resilience
- The importance of self-compassion in personal and professional healing
Episode 2: The Theory of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs)
Overview:
- Deep dive into the original ACEs study and its groundbreaking findings
- The biological, emotional, and behavioral impacts of childhood adversity
- Exploring the link between ACEs and long-term health outcomes
Key Topics Covered:
- The ten original ACEs categories
- How childhood adversity affects brain development and stress response
- The body’s memory of trauma and how it manifests in adulthood
- Why ACEs are universal across cultures and societies
Episode 3: The Whole Picture: Protective and Compensatory Experiences (PACEs)
Overview:
- Introduction to PACEs, developed by Dr. Jennifer Hays-Grudo and Dr. Amanda Sheffield Morris
- How protective experiences mitigate the effects of ACEs
- Exploring resilience through relationships, environments, and self-regulation
Key Topics Covered:
- PACEs framework: positive relationships, supportive environments, personal agency
- The role of safe, stable, and nurturing relationships in childhood development
- How clinicians can help clients identify and build PACEs in their lives
Episode 4: The Effects of Chronic Stress on the Brain and Body
Overview:
- How prolonged stress alters the nervous system and contributes to emotional dysregulation
- Understanding trauma responses: fight, flight, freeze, and fawn
- Strategies to support nervous system regulation
Key Topics Covered:
- The impact of toxic stress on the immune system, heart health, and mental health
- How stress affects learning, decision-making, and emotional resilience
- The role of oxytocin, trust, and safe relationships in counteracting stress
Episode 5: ACEs & PACEs Group Discussion
Overview:
- Real-world application of ACEs and PACEs in clinical settings
- Reflective discussion on how trauma and resilience shape personal and professional experiences
Key Topics Covered:
- The importance of recognizing both adversity and protective factors
- How personal experiences influence therapeutic approaches
- Strategies for integrating these concepts into practice
Episode 6: PACEs Demonstration & Discussion
Overview:
- A hands-on demonstration of how PACEs work in therapy
- Case studies and practical applications for clinicians
Key Topics Covered:
- Identifying PACEs in client narratives
- How to introduce protective experiences as an intervention strategy
- Techniques to help clients shift from trauma focus to resilience building
Episode 7: Childhood Adaptations to ACEs (ChAACEs)
Overview:
- How children adapt to trauma through learned behaviors
- Recognizing survival mechanisms that persist into adulthood
Key Topics Covered:
- Common childhood adaptations: emotional suppression, avoidance, hyper-independence
- How these adaptations influence adult relationships and coping skills
- Helping clients reframe and repurpose early survival strategies
Episode 8: Exploring ChAACEs: Discussion & Sharing
Overview:
- Reflective discussion on how early adaptations shape adult behavior
- Strategies for guiding clients toward conscious, adaptive choices
Key Topics Covered:
- Recognizing patterns of secrecy, avoidance, and over-responsibility
- Teaching clients to replace survival-driven behaviors with intentional self-regulation
Episode 9: Choosing Your Hard
Overview:
- Exploring how intentional choices shape healing and resilience
- The power of reframing personal narratives
Key Topics Covered:
- How clients can consciously engage with or release painful emotions
- The role of grief, self-compassion, and community in healing
- Practical exercises to help clients transition from past-driven to future-driven mindsets
Episode 10: Grownup Adaptations to ACEs (GrAACEs)
Overview:
- How trauma adaptations evolve into adult coping mechanisms
- Helping clients move from maladaptive strategies to conscious resilience-building
Key Topics Covered:
- How ACE-driven coping shows up in adult relationships and self-care
- Supporting clients in building healthier emotional regulation tools
Episode 11: Inherited Trauma: How Parenting Shapes Emotional Regulation
Overview:
- Understanding intergenerational trauma and its impact on parenting
- How caregivers can break cycles of emotional dysregulation
Key Topics Covered:
- The concept of “ghosts and angels in the nursery”
- How stress hormones affect parent-child interactions
- Using attachment-based approaches to support healing
Episode 12: Generational Healing: Understanding Trauma and Resilience in Families
Overview:
- Exploring family patterns of trauma and resilience
- Breaking cycles of adversity through conscious parenting and therapy
Key Topics Covered:
- How generational trauma is passed down through behaviors and beliefs
- The importance of identifying family strengths and PACEs across generations
Episode 13: The Resilient Brain: Neurogenesis and the Path to Healing
Overview:
- How the brain changes and heals through neuroplasticity
- Creating environments that promote neural growth and emotional well-being
Key Topics Covered:
- Six key factors that promote neurogenesis: physical activity, sleep, nutrition, meaningful relationships, reduced stress, learning new skills
- How therapists can integrate neuroscience into trauma recovery
Episode 14: Virtues & Vices: A Deep Dive Into Ourselves
Overview:
- Understanding self-sabotage and personal growth through an open-mind, open-heart approach
- Moving from judgment and shame to self-compassion
Key Topics Covered:
- How trauma creates rigid self-perceptions
- Practicing mindfulness and conscious choice-making in healing
Episode 15: Once Upon a Time: Crafting a Story of Resilience
Overview:
- How personal storytelling helps reframe trauma
- Using narrative therapy techniques to create empowering self-stories
Key Topics Covered:
- The role of metaphor and fairytales in reauthoring personal history
- Techniques for helping clients shift from victimhood to empowerment
Episode 16: Beyond Trauma: Creating Resilient & Trauma-Informed Communities
Overview:
- Applying trauma-informed care beyond individual therapy
- Expanding healing into families, communities, and workplaces
Key Topics Covered:
- Shifting from “What is wrong with you?” to “What happened to you?”
- How professionals can advocate for systemic change in trauma awareness