The Art of Kid Whispering

The Art of Kid Whispering

Reaching the Inside Kid

Problem behaviors are often the focus of intervention instead of recognizing that these are expressions of inner pain and distress. This training is the pathway to discovering the private logic and goals of the inside kid. Participants will examine the impact of trauma and loss on how distrustful and defiant youth employ coping strategies of Fight, Flight, or Fool in their attempt to outwit the adult. These young people desperately need the guiding light of a well-trained caring adult. Participants will learn to recognize pain-based behavior, identify the costumes used to mask their inner thoughts and feelings, and use problems as teachable moments and opportunities for growth.

Two-day certification for professionals working with challenging youth.

Course Curriculum

  • Understanding Childhood and Adolescent Development

    • Understanding traditional developmental stages and needs that must be met
    • Understanding emotional development based on the work of Mary M. Wood
    • The presence and implications of Adverse Childhood Experiences

  • Positive Youth Development Science

    • Circle of Courage and the Cal Farley Model of Leadership and Service
    • Principles of Re-EDucation
    • Strategies for Healing Trauma

  • Talking and Listening to the Child

    • Effective listening
    • Enlisting the young person as the primary expert on him or herself
    • Effective responding skills

  • Using the Data to Restore

    • Building strengths and support
    • Interventions that build inner strength
    • Marking progress one action at a time

Authors and Trainers

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Mark Freado
Mark Freado, MA in Counseling and MA in Forensic Psychology, is Director of Growing Edge Training, LLC, Westerville, Ohio. He has a forty-year career in mental health, education, social services, program development, leadership, and training. He served in direct care and executive roles with Pressley Ridge and as director of the American Re-ED Association. For over 20 years, he has been a key leader in developing the reclaiming youth movement including serving as Director of the International Training Network for CF Learning, a program of Cal Farley’s in Amarillo, Texas. He and J. C. Chambers co-authored The Art of Kid Whispering: Reaching the Inside Kid. He is also co-developer of Planning Restorative Outcomes, a strength-based assessment model and serves as an expert witness in juvenile justice hearings. He provides professional development and consultation to organizations world-wide.

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