Trust-Based Relational Intervention

Caring for Kids from ‘Hard Places’

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 parenting 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 years of 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, caregivers, parents, and teachers who want to see the children they are working with or caring for reach their highest potential. Although the primary focus is on children cared for children, the principles and strategies of this approach are effective for any child or young person who has come from a ‘hard place’.

Created by Dr Karyn Purvis and Dr David Cross, TBRI has actively engaged in research that not only demonstrates the efficacy of TBRI as an evidence-based intervention, but also in research about how to grow trauma-informed organisations and communities.

Presented by: Kerri Chard Queensland’s leading Trust Based Relational Intervention (TBRI®) practitioner, having studied directly with Dr David Cross and the Karen Purvis Institute of Child Development team. Kerri trains residential care workers, foster and kinship support staff and also works directly with foster and kinship carers as well as biological parents using TBRI®. Kerri has spent time working in the USA with leaders and innovators helping children heal from their trauma. She is well known for her passionate yet pragmatic approach to the complex issue of Child Protection. She is highly regarded as someone who can think differently and translate psychological theory into practical interventions that transform lives. Kerri is also a foster carer.