Embark on Your Regulated Journey
Training and Consultancy Opportunities for Your Organisation
Whether you are supporting children at home, or in a community or education setting, the role that you play is pivotal in providing them with safe and nurturing environments where they can flourish. Our suite of training opportunities are designed to enlighten and empower all those working with children to develop their understanding and enhance their practice.
The informative and engaging content enables adults to make a profound difference by uncovering what is really going on underneath the behaviour, responding to unmet needs and developing essential skills that will serve children throughout their childhood and beyond.
A Trauma-Informed Approach
Embedded at the core of all training is attachment theory and a deep understanding of how trauma impacts brain development. We invite participants to view challenging behaviour through the lens of survival and stress responses, shifting away from traditional, punitive approaches towards a model focused on soothing stress responses, nurturing secure relationships, and developing proactive routines of behaviour.
Tailored to Your Needs
Our training is highly adaptable, tailored to the specific needs of each group. Whether you're a foster carer, an early years practitioner, or work within community projects, we offer opportunities for one-to-one or group consultations and coaching sessions post-training. We understand that every situation is unique, and we're committed to supporting you in making a positive impact.
Key Training Themes
There are a number of key themes embedded within our training:
Childhood/adolescent brain development and vulnerable nervous systems.
The profound impact of trauma on the body and brain.
The significance of attachment and attuned relationships in a child's life.
Recognizing a child's emotional state and developmental stage when considering responses.
"Regulate – Reconnect – Respond," a three-tiered collaborative approach that enhances relationships and outcomes.
Strategies to help children predict and plan for challenging situations.
Supporting the development of self-regulation through everyday routines and scripts.
Understanding the impact of the sensory environment on distressed children.
Staying connected while being aware of our own emotional state.
Join us in Making a Difference
We invite you to join us in this transformative journey towards understanding and supporting children who have experienced adversity. Together, we can create environments where children can heal, thrive, and build brighter futures.
Book your free consultation today to explore the training experience that would best fit your organisation and be part of a community committed to making a lasting impact on the lives of vulnerable children and young people.
Testimonials
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‘‘Nicola McAllister is highly skilled and a great communicator. I would happily join any of her training courses in the future.’
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‘Thank you so much for providing this wonderful training opportunity. I thoroughly enjoyed the webinar and thought it was really interesting and informative and really made me reflect on my practice and consider different language and strategies that can be used to support the children I work with. Thank you.’
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‘I thought Nicola was excellent because her dedication and integrity to children shone through. Thank you, Nicola.’
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‘The trainer was amazing. There was a lovely balance of listening and chatting. Well done as training on-line is not easy. I loved it. Thank you.’
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‘Nicola was an absolutely inspiring talker with lots of knowledge!’
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‘I work with children with additional support needs and this approach has helped me understand their needs better and given me the tools to help children regulate their stress responses.’
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‘Fascinating insight into the reasons behind behaviours in more detail and better explained than I have had access to so far. Having an improved understanding of behaviour and my role and behaviour will really help when working with young people who suffer from trauma/ACE.’
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‘I work as an early years practitioner and feel this course has helped me to understand children’s behaviours better, I’m more aware of why children may not be able to carry out tasks asked of them and why they me demonstrate distressed behaviours. I also feel I have a better understanding of how to try and co regulate with the children.’
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‘The brain is a minefield and never ending learning. Nicola explained everything in simple terms and how many things we may never think of, as adults, can have an impact/effect on the child and their behaviour.’
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‘This was very interesting and informative training that proved very thought provoking. So glad to have been able to participate.’
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‘I have many years experience supporting the mental health of YP within education, community and hospital settings. This course was so informative and was presented in a professional and empathetic manner. Fantastic.’
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‘Thoroughly enjoyed this training, it has developed my knowledge further around this area which is what I have been looking for. Nicola is a fantastic presenter.’
Training courses for your organisation
Pricing structure
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Duration: 1 hour
Cost: £80
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We all embark on our parenting journey with the best of intentions, but the road is seldom smooth and when things get difficult, which invariably they will, we can be left feeling deskilled and inadequate. Sometimes if feels as if everyone else is getting it right while we are left floundering consumed by the shame that we are not a good enough parent or giving our child what they need.
Although there is no parenting rule book, if we have a better understanding of what lies beneath our child’s behaviour, were our child is functioning developmentally and what they need from us to be regulated and engaged, we have the best chance possible of equipping them with the skills they need to navigate through life.
This training allows participants to develop an insight into their child’s unique biology, understand the importance of relationships and make changes in their interactions and responses that minimise the difficult times and create harmony at home.
Key Learning:
• Developing an understanding of unmet needs and how they manifest through behaviour.
• Exploring the difference between top down and bottom-up behaviours and knowing how to respond.
• Matching our demands and expectations to our child’s developmental stage and skill base.
• Creating robust, safe relationships which withstand the storm.
• Developing proactive, positive routines through co-regulation, planning and predictable language.
• How to stay anchored when surrounded by chaos.
An initial consultation with the organiser is included to ensure that the training content meets the needs of the group.
Depending on location, this training can be delivered face to face or virtually via Zoom or Teams platform. The session is interactive and allows participants the opportunity to collaborate, discuss and reflect.
Duration: 3 hours
Cost for Up to 20 delegates: £500
Cost for Over 20 delegates: £700
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Children are born wired to connect. Their experiences prebirth and during the first few years of their life cannot be explicitly remembered but have a profound effect on their physical, emotional, and cognitive development, as well as shaping their future health and wellbeing.
By understanding the impact of prolonged toxic stress on the developing brain and body and the importance of safe, attuned relationships, we can create environments and experiences that change a child’s biology and unlock their potential.
This session explores the importance of connection and felt safety as vital components of childhood development. It provides adults with the knowledge of how to use relationships and their own regulation system to settle their child’s internal fear and chaos bringing them to a safe place where they can connect and heal.
Key learning:
• Exploring how a child’s experience of early relationships shape their view of the world.
• Reflecting on traditional parenting methods and how they may retraumatise a child.
• Balancing structure and nurture, setting compassionate boundaries.
• Recognising your child’s internal state and knowing how to respond.
• Predicting and navigating potential stressors together, creating successful outcomes.
• Knowing your own limits, finding time to rest and reset.
An initial consultation with the organiser is included to ensure that the training content meets the needs of the group.
Depending on location, this training can be delivered face to face or virtually via Zoom or Teams platform. The session is interactive and allows participants the opportunity to collaborate, discuss and reflect.
Duration: 3 hours
Cost for Up to 20 delegates: £500
Cost for Over 20 delegates: £700
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Children all have a unique biology, that is why following a one size fits all approach doesn’t work. A child’s behaviour is the signal that they send to communicate what is happening inside their body and brain at any given moment. If we get better at picking up those signals and interpreting what they mean, we can respond in ways that respects the child’s biology, soothes their emotional and stress responses, and equips them with the tools they need to regulate their future reactions.
This session explores the importance of the brain, body connection and how, through attuned relationships and co-regulation, we can begin to support children to develop the capacities that they require to regulate their own stress responses.
Key Learning:
• Understanding the impact of toxic stress on the developing body and brain.
• Exploring heightened stress responses.
• Understanding the role of the senses and attuned relationships in creating a healthy brain body connection.
• Using a proactive, collaborative approach to support the development of self-regulation.
• Reflecting on the adult’s response, how to stay regulated and connected during times of distress.
An initial consultation with the organiser is included to ensure that the training content meets the needs of the group.
Depending on location, this training can be delivered face to face or virtually via Zoom or Teams platform. The session is interactive and allows participants the opportunity to collaborate, discuss and reflect.
Duration: 3 hours
Cost for Up to 20 delegates: £500
Cost for Over 20 delegates: £700
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When our children are small, we focus on their developmental milestones, when will they be able to crawl, walk or talk? As they grow, these milestones become more focused around achievements at school and in the community, are they progressing with their reading or maths, will they be selected for the football or gymnastics team? All these things are important, however there are a set of capabilities, that are less visible and harder to measure, that are crucial in equipping our children with the skills that they require to navigate life and reach their potential.
These principles are:
• Emotional regulation
• Stress regulation.
• Sensory integration
• Attachment
• Self-belief
• Executive functioning
• Flexibility
This session will break down and explore these seven key principles of child development that are frequently overlooked but are essential for a child to thrive in home, early years, and school settings. Using current research from world renowned experts, we will explore the sequence of development for each principle to gain a clear understanding of where the child’s starting point is and what we can do, in practical terms, to support their progress and help them to grow.
Key learning:
• Looking beyond the traditional parameters of child development and milestones.
• Understanding the integrated body and brain, taking a holistic approach.
• Identifying factors that impact on the developing child.
• Exploring the seven invisible principles of child development, what they are and why they are important.
• Identifying the developmental stage of the child and exploring ways to support their progress.
• An initial consultation with the organiser is included to ensure that the training content meets the needs of the group.
Depending on location, this training can be delivered face to face or virtually via Zoom or Teams platform. The session is interactive and allows participants the opportunity to collaborate, discuss and reflect.
Duration: 3 hours
Cost for Up to 20 delegates: £500
Cost for Over 20 delegates: £700
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This training programme develops participants understanding of anxiety and distress within children. It explores the importance of the brain, body connection and how through attuned relationships and co-regulation we can begin to support children to navigate the difficult times while maintaining a sense of safety and connection.
Participants will also explore the importance of adult regulation during times of stress and how we can use our internal state and self-talk to soothe a distressed child.
The training translates recent research in child development into practical approaches that can be adapted to meet the needs of all children.
Key learning:
• Exploring how a child’s body reacts to perceived threats and stressors.
• Translating behavioural cues into unmet needs and emotional states.
• Understanding the importance of co-regulation in soothing stress responses.
• Developing a clear framework for working collaboratively with the child.
• Importance of the adult response and remaining anchored.
An initial consultation with the organiser is included to ensure that the training content meets the needs of the group.
Depending on location, this training can be delivered face to face or virtually via Zoom or Teams platform. The session is interactive and allows participants the opportunity to collaborate, discuss and reflect.
Duration: 5 hours in total, split into 2 sessions
Cost for up to 20 delegates: £700
Cost for over 20 delegates: £900
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How we view and respond to a child's behaviour has changed over time. Traditional approaches, that are still being used today are reactive, shame inducing and have many limitations. If we really want to minimise the reoccurrence of distressed behaviour and bring about long-term change for our children and young people, we need to understand what is going on in their bodies and brains. We also need to be aware of the impact of environmental factors surrounding the child and how we can stay connected when relationships are being pushed to the limit.
This programme translates recent findings in neuroscience into practical approaches that help adults make sense of behaviour and respond in a considered way. It explores how we can be proactive making small changes to daily routines that will equip children with the skills they need to meet the demands of everyday life.
Key learning:
• Exploring our thoughts and beliefs about behaviour.
• Identifying patterns of behaviour and how they meet a child's needs.
• Understanding the interconnected brain moving from co-regulation to self-regulation
• Interpreting behaviours what this tells us about a child's internal state.
• Using internal state and developmental stage of a child to inform our responses.
This training is suitable for all professionals working with children and young people as well as parents and carers.
An initial consultation with the organiser is included to ensure that the training content meets the needs of the group.
Depending on location, this training can be delivered face to face or virtually via Zoom or Teams platform. The session is interactive and allows participants the opportunity to collaborate, discuss and reflect.
Duration: 2 hours
Cost for up to 20 delegates: £450
Cost for over 20 delegates: £600