School Pro-D Workshops

Alisha has been facilitating professional development workshops and training teams for over fifteen years. Over the past five years she has had the privilege of bringing her training and expertise to schools through integrative, engaging workshops that seek to empower teachers and staff in navigating classroom challenges. Pro D workshops are tailored to target the unique atmosphere of teaching and in supporting students in healthy and balanced ways.

Pro-D topics can be customized for your school. Top suggestions include:

Prevention and Healing from Teacher Burnout (specific to BC teachers & EA's)
Trauma Informed Schools and Classrooms
Supporting Kids and Teens with Anxiety in the Classroom
The Impacts of Screens on the Developing Brain

If you are looking for a key-note speaker for your Pro-D day Alisha would be happy to hear from you!

Groups Workshops

Alisha has over fifteen years experience facilitating workshops and professional development for a variety of groups including Universities, RCMP, Justice Institute, Registered Clinical Counsellor teams, Foster Parents, Non-Profits and more.

If you are looking to support your group with well-informed and experiential mental health workshop we would love to collaborate with you to tailor workshops to your specific group needs.

Audiences include:

Front Line Workers: Foster parents, Social Workers, Nurses, Physiotherapists, Police, Justice Institute, Hospital Staff, university students, mental health support groups etc.

Therapists: Professional development on a variety of mental health and therapeutic modalities with the opportunity to integrate group clinical consultation/supervision from a Approved Clinical Supervisor (ACS) and Registered Supervision or Supervision (SoS)

The Community: PAC - parent advisory committee’s, parents, couples, Churches etc.

"Your knowledge was greatly appreciated and has let us as a staff to discuss the important, but often forgotten issue of teacher mental health."

Burnout Prevention for Teachers

Deanna Nilson, Teacher
Harold Bishop Elementary

School District 36 (Surrey)

Preventing and Healing from
Burn-Out.

Feeling irritable, angry, or depressed? Do you work with a vulnerable population group? Do you have a big heart but sometimes find yourself needing to shut down, have that extra slice of pizza, or yell at someone you love? If so, you may be experiencing what experts call Compassion Fatigue (CF).

Compassion fatigue refers to the profound emotional and physical erosion that takes place when helpers are unable to refuel and regenerate (university of Bristol). Those who have jobs that require high levels of empathy are more susceptible to this type of burn out.

If you are looking to support your team by preventing burn out this workshop is for you. As we know, by being proactive and making steps to prevent burn out companies save themselves the hassle and cost of employee turn-over.

In this workshop we address compassion fatigue and how it impacts people’s personal and professional life. We take time to address practical steps in immediate preventing compassion fatigue. Finally we look at what to do if you find yourself in the middle of compassion fatiuege, how you got there, and how to recover.

Supporting Children and Teens with Anxiety

Anxiety in children is at an all-time high in Canada and across the US. What is causing so much anxiety in our children and teens and how do we help them gain resiliency?

The latest statistics tell us that childhood anxiety disorders are strongly linked to increased risk for later depression, anxiety, behaviour problems and substance abuse (Children’s Mental Health Report, 2018), yet anxiety is very treatable. Take this opportunity to learn about childhood anxiety and how to help your sensitive child move through uncomfortable thoughts, physical sensations, ruminations and fears.

This workshop will give you practical ideas and suggestions on how to approach your child when they are experiencing anxiety and discuss practical grounding techniques (including when they are experiencing panic episodes). We will address how to see your child’s experience of anxiety and discuss ways to help them see themselves and the world from a more secure place.

Impacts of Screens on Children

Do you ever wonder how screens are impacting children? Do they really cause behavioural difficulties, depression, anxiety or unwanted stress? If so, what do we do about it?

As of May 2016, BC parents are now legally responsible for their children’s online activities.

The legal system is trying to communicate the importance of parenting the online world. There is an obvious gap between parents who grew up with very little access to personalized internet and the online atmosphere of children today.

This workshop addresses current research on how screen time impacts the biological, psychological and social development of children and teens. Because primary caregivers are the key to raising healthy, well adjusted children the workshop seeks to address relevant topics that kids and teens are encountering today in order to support parents, youth workers, social workers, teachers and anyone who has an influence on a child or teen. Topics include:

brain development
cyberbullying
blackmail
pornography
teen sexting
cyber -etiquette
online bullying

If you’d like training and support for your social workers, teachers, youth workers, or ministry team, or if you need an upgrade on relevant research and clinical assessment predictors impacting differential diagnosis as a therapist working with families, children or teens book a seminar today.

Teen Sexting

Teen Sexting is defined as kids under the age of 18 years create and send online sexual content. This behaviour is legally considered ‘creating and distributing child pornography’ and has very serious legal and personal consequences.

As a part of parenting the online world there now needs to be ongoing conversations with our children about teen sexting. Chances are that even if your teen is not engaged in creating images, or even sharing or forwarding images, research suggests that they have likely received unwanted sexual images on their personal devices (phone, iPad, computer, social media platform, text, Skype, snap-chat etc).

This workshop seeks to empower parents, teachers, ministry workers and youth workers on what we need to know about our legal responsibility and practical tools and tips on how to have practical, realistic conversations with our teens and preteens about teen sexting.

This workshop seeks to address:

Overview of recent statistics
Address personal, legal, social and future impacts
When and how to report in British Columbia
Tips for how to interact with teens on this topic so that they will listen

Alisha’s graduate studies included research on teen sexting and the personal and legal implications on adolescents and their families. Additionally, her work as a Youth and Family Counsellor referral source with the RCMP has given her unique experience and insight on how to address this sensitive topic.

Burnout Prevention Pro-D Workshop

Teachers and Education Assistant burnout is at the highest it has ever been in recorded history according to the most recent BC reports. School faculty often feel overwhelmed by the needs of the position. It is so important to take the time to stay informed about how to effectively care for teachers and support staff in order to affectively care for our children’s education.

In this workshop, your school will have the opportunity to learn best practices for supporting your own mental health, including how to track instability and practical tools that aid in avoiding and preventing burnout. Designed specifically for Professional Development days, this workshop supports teachers, EAs and school staff in the prevention and management of burnout.

If your school could benefit from a Pro-D day that focuses on the support of teachers, administrators and educational assistance mental health in order to create a more sustainable workplace, we’d love to partner with you.

About the Presenter:

Alisha holds a Master's Degree and and is Registered Clinical Counsellor (RCC) , Approved Clinical Supervisor (ACS) and Supervisor of Supervision (SoS). She is the founder of Experience Change, a counselling practice in Surrey BC (Guildford) where her team provides counselling services for families, youth, individuals and couples.

Alisha's current clinical work focuses on supporting those who have experienced trauma. She started her career in counselling as a Family Therapist where she saw families with children ages 5-17 who were referred from the RCMP for behavioural issues leading to breaking the law. Her time working for the City and Township of Langley and RCMP gave her a unique perspective on contemporary children and youth issues including the complex impacts of trauma on families and the community. Her ten years of experience and intentional professional development equips her to facilitate mental health workshops with her unique combination of ongoing education and front-line experience.

One of Alisha’s biggest passions is supporting those who support others. Contact us to find out how we can support you and your team