Trust Based Relational Interventions with Dr Donald Winsted USA

Trust Based Relational Intervention (TBRI®) is a whole-child, attachment-based, trauma-informed, multi-systemic, evidence-based intervention which has proven to be successful for children who have experienced relational trauma (abuse, neglect, domestic violence or institutionalisation).  It is a practical therapeutic model that shows professionals and carers how to provide effective support and treatment for these children.

Because of their histories these children have changes in their bodies, brains, behaviours, and belief systems. It is often difficult for them to trust loving adults in their lives, which results in perplexing behaviours. While a variety of caregiving strategies may be successful some of the time, children from hard places need care that meets their unique needs and addresses the whole child.

TBRI® uses Empowering Principles to address physical needs, Connecting Principles for attachment needs, and Correcting Principles to disarm fear-based behaviours. TBRI® interventions are based on attachment, sensory processing, and neuroscience research; however, the heartbeat of TBRI® is still connection. The approach is effective because it is founded in research on how optimal development should have occurred and applies these principles to help troubled young people to return to their natural developmental trajectory.

The learning goals for this one day TBRI® introductory training are:

• To provide research informed insight about the impact of a child’s history on their long-term development.
• To enhance understanding about how to interpret young people’s behaviour and to respond appropriately.
• To provide a practical framework for the successful application of the TBRI®  approach.

TBRI® offers practical tools for helping professionals, teachers, caregivers, and parents who want to see the children they are working with or caring for, reach their highest potential. Although the primary focus is on children in out of home care, the principles and strategies of this approach are effective for any child or young person who has come from a ‘hard place’.

Dr. Donald Winsted is a licensed psychologist and TBRI® trainer.  He brings over two decades of clinical practice working with children, adolescents and adults who have experienced trauma (neglect, abuse or institutionalisation).  Alongside his busy practice, Donald trains biological parents (including those who have lost their children to protective custody), foster and adoptive parents, professionals and paraprofessionals in attachment theory, Trust Based Relational Intervention (TRBI®), and the impact of trauma on development.  Dr. Winsted’s passion is to see those impacted by trauma healed, whole and thriving.