A new wave of refugees, triggered by the war in Ukraine, has led to uncertainty among many teachers and schools. Questions about how the integration of psychologically injured children can succeed have arisen in many places.

The knowledge about the emergence of trauma and a successful handling of traumatized children currently takes great significance. Thanks to this knowledge, all children who are psychologically injured can benefit from a more sensitive approach. It shows ways how we can treat them with respect and dignity and learn how to mindfully avoid retraumatization in everyday school life. The knowledge from the field of mindfulness offers a great potential to recognize the emerging feelings in oneself as well as in the children, to learn to understand them and to counter them effectively with targeted interventions.

Course Content

The newly created resource collection "Mindfulness & Trauma Pedagogy" (freely available here from October) provides scientific background on the emergence and effects of trauma and contains a wide range of concrete and helpful suggestions for supporting traumatized children skillfully. In this three-part workshop, the focus is primarily on the practical implementation of the resource collection, its associated stabilizing exercises and suggestions. Participants learn how to apply the power of mindfulness in a trauma-sensitive way so that it can unfold its healing potential. This promotes a sensitive approach to school children and, on the other hand, enables them to develop and maintain their own self-caring behaviors.

Target Audience

The course is open to all teachers, school psychologists, social pedagogues, remedial pedagogues, school administrators and all other professionals who work with children and adolescents. No previous knowledge of trauma or mindfulness is required. English should be understood and talked on a intermediate working level, no perfect English required (ours isn't either).

Course Dates

Thursday – 2^nd/ 9^th/ 16^th of March from 7 – 9pm over Zoom (online).

Working methods

Theoretical inputs and practical exercises alternate. The course provides concrete tools for a successful everyday school life.

Conditions

Participation fee is 220 CHF, for Ukrainian teachers the course is free.

Other special conditions on request.

Facilitators

Ruth Monstein – Primary teacher, remedial teacher, consultant in psycho-traumatology, mindfulness trainer, author of the "Binja" mindfulness books for schools.
Matthias Rüst - Director of Achtsame Schulen Schweiz and BREATHE International, MBSR-Teacher, author and lead trainer of the MoMento program for schools.  

Information & Registration

Please e-mail brief details of professional activity (occupation, grade level, municipality) and personal contact details (address/telephone number) to: kurse@achtsameschulen.ch. Please clearly mention the code of the course (TR-2). Responses may take up to 14 days.

The number of participants is limited!