2026 Course Dates

Date and Registrations

2026 Dates to be Confirmed soon!

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Mighty Willows: Getting Curious

(Module 1)

Workshop Overview

Mighty Willows: Getting Curious aims to help parents / caregivers / teachers to develop an understanding of children's responses (also known as behaviour, but we don't focus on that!) from the inside out - we discuss the nervous system and how this plays a role in responses, and explore ways to better understand and respond to underlying needs.

During the session we will explore the root causes of behaviours and get curious about what uses up the child (or the adult's!) energy (or spoons) during the day.  We will discuss how to co-regulate with children.  

You will leave the workshop with 2 documents to begin making changes at home:

- "Getting Curious" outlining what is using your child's energy each day

- "Glimmer Hunting" document outlining ideas to help regulate your child

Mighty Willows: Getting Curious is the first of two modules, the second module, Growing Together, introduces ways to problem solve with your child, using the Collaborative and Proactive Solutions Model.  This module will be run approximately 6 weeks after Getting Curious.

Participant Information

This is an introductory level course aimed at anyone parenting, caring for, teaching or otherwise supporting a neurodivergent (or potentially neurodivergent) child.  The information is suitable for children of all ages as the information discussed can be adapted for different age groups.

Facilitator

Sharyn Gousmett, Educational Psychologist and Director of Willow Corner

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Mighty Willows: Growing Together

(Module 2)

Workshop Overview

Growing Together is the second module of our Mighty Willows course.  In the first module, Getting Curious, we explored what contributes to behaviour differences, and learned about body based processes including neuroception and interoception.  Participants developed two documents - finding what uses up kids 'spoons', what gives 'spoons' back, and we began to explore ways that we can make accommodations or adaptations to expectations to help keep children regulated.  

In Growing Together we will continue to build on this knowledge.  The session will cover:

- why commonly used strategies such as rewards or consequences simply don't work

- how we can help children develop new skills using CPS.  This introduction to CPS will provide opportunities to explore how we can create change through working alongside children. We will share resources from the Lives in the Balance website, and stories of how CPS has been used in real life.

This workshop is relevant for anyone parenting, caring for, teaching, or otherwise supporting a neurodivergent (or possibly neurodivergent) child or youth.  The focus is on supporting children who have may differences in their emotional regulation - this includes children who show their difficulties externally (ie through behaviours that we notice), as well as children whose difficulties present through anxiety.  The course material is suitable for all ages as the models can be adapted for various age groups. 

Attendance Prerequisites

Attendance at Module 1 - Getting Curious, is highly recommend but not compulsory.  Participants need to have at least a basic understanding of neurodiversity, neurodivergent development and co-regulation.  Participants who are just beginning to explore how best to support a neurodivergent child are advised to attend Getting Curious before registering for this workshop.  

This is an introductory level workshop aimed at participants interested in adding to their parenting or teaching kete.  Participants who are already using co-regulation strategies and the CPS model are welcome to attend but may find the course material covers information they already know.