Presented by Deborah MacNamara, Ph.D. and Carissa Muth, Psy.D., CCC, R.Psych and Steven G. Feifer, D.Ed., ABSNP
Wednesday, April 29, 2026 – Friday, May 1, 2026 | Victoria, bc
Wednesday, April 29, 2026 – Friday, May 1, 2026
8:30am – 4:00pm
Sandman Inn Hotel Victoria
2852 Douglas Street., Victoria, BC
phone: 250.388.0788
website: www.sandmanhotels.com
Education and Clinical Professionals: All education and mental health or healthcare professionals who work with children or youth including, but not limited to K–12 Classroom Teachers, School Counsellors, Learning Assistance/Resource Teachers, School Administrators, School Paraprofessionals including Special Education Assistants, Classroom Assistants and Childcare Workers • All other professionals who support behavioural challenges and complex learning needs including but not limited to: Nurses, Social Workers, Psychologists, Clinical Counsellors, Family Therapists, Occupational Therapists, Speech Language Pathologists, Addiction Counsellors, Youth Workers, Mental Health Workers, Probation Officers and Community Police Officers.
8:30am - 11:45am April 29, 2026
COURSE DESCRIPTION
Anxiety is now the most common mental health challenge of childhood and adolescence. As many as one in five children and teens meet criteria for an anxiety disorder, with many more struggling below the diagnostic threshold. Anxiety rarely looks the same from one child or teen to the next. It can appear as worry, avoidance, obsessions and compulsions, phobias, panic, perfectionism, shutdown, irritability, or a range of perplexing behaviours that leave adults unsure how to help.
We cannot treat what we do not understand.
This three-hour presentation offers a fresh, hopeful, and developmentally grounded way of making sense of anxiety—one that moves beyond symptom management and behavioural control, and instead looks at what anxiety is doing, why it shows up, and what children and teens need to feel safe enough to grow.
Drawing on attachment science, neuroscience, developmental psychology, and Dr. Deborah MacNamara’s clinical experience, this presentation reframes anxiety as a state of heightened alarm in the nervous system, not a character flaw, weakness, or problem of coping skills. Participants will learn how anxiety interferes with emotional processing, learning, attention, and adaptation—and why many well-intended strategies can unintentionally intensify anxiety rather than relieve it.
Rather than asking how to make children “calm down” or “push through,” this presentation asks a more essential question: What is making it so hard for them to feel safe?
This is a deeply compassionate, insight-based approach that restores confidence to adults and offers a promising path forward for children and teens struggling with anxiety.
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
Deborah MacNamara, PhD is a clinical counsellor and educator with more than 25 years’ experience working with children, youth, and adults. She is on faculty at the Neufeld Institute, operates a counselling practice, and speaks regularly about child and adolescent development…
More information: www.neufeldinstitute.org/person/deborah-macnamara/
12:45pm - 4:00pm April 29, 2026
COURSE DESCRIPTION
Resistance and opposition are among the most challenging and misunderstood behaviours in childhood and adolescence. From toddlers who refuse to cooperate to teens who push back against every request, resistance can feel personal, provocative, and deeply unsettling for the adults who care for them.
Yet resistance is not always a problem to eliminate.
In this presentation, Dr. Deborah MacNamara offers a developmental and relational understanding of resistance and opposition, introducing the concept of counterwill—the instinctive, defensive reaction that arises when children feel pressured, coerced, or controlled.
Counterwill can take many forms, including opposition, negativism, noncompliance, avoidance, lack of motivation, disrespect, belligerence, and resistance to learning. While the expressions may vary depending on age and personality, the underlying dynamic is deceptively simple: a child or teen resisting felt coercion.
This presentation explores why counterwill is a normal and necessary part of human development, why it is especially pronounced in toddlers and adolescents, and how it is meant to serve both attachment and the development of a child’s will. Participants will gain insight into why power struggles intensify resistance, why what is most demanded often becomes least likely to happen, and how well-intended efforts to manage behaviour can unintentionally escalate opposition.
Most importantly, this presentation offers a way forward. Rather than increasing control or backing away from adult responsibility, participants will learn how to respond to resistance in ways that preserve relationship, dignity, and leadership, while respecting the developmental purpose of counterwill.
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
8:30am - 11:45am April 30, 2026
COURSE DESCRIPTION
In the late 1990’s, the CDC in combination with Kaiser Permanente studied the link between childhood abuse and adult rates of death. This study firmly established a link between childhood experiences and long term mental and physical health outcomes. As 67% of individuals experiences at least one ACE, continued studies have investigated which factors or how many factors are the most influential. Dr. Carissa Muth will present updated data regarding childhood and developmental trauma with a focus on utilizing the research to effectively conceptualize and treat client symptoms. This will include a diagnostic explanation of complex posttraumatic stress disorder and staged treatment methods and interventions. As often the most complex clients have high ACE scores, knowing how to identify and treat these clients can provide hope for those that may feel disregarded.
Why Attend?
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
Dr. Carissa Muth is a registered psychologist in Alberta and British Columbia and the Clinical Director at the Sunshine Coast Health Centre and Georgia Strait Women’s Clinic. She holds Doctorate of Psychology, Master of Arts in Counselling, and Bachelor of…
12:45pm - 4:00pm April 30, 2026
COURSE DESCRIPTION
As high as 20% of children in Canada will experience an anxiety disorder before reaching adulthood. For many of these children, symptoms of anxiety will impede their life and development to a degree that will create impairments into adulthood. Developmental vulnerabilities place children and adolescents at unique risk and also in need of specialized knowledge regarding the assessment and treatment of their anxiety symptoms. In this workshop, Dr. Muth will ground the assessment and treatment of anxiety for children and adolescent in a neurological understanding of human development. Presenting developmentally appropriate CBT and play therapy interventions, Dr. Muth will provide practical tools for working with children and adolescents with anxiety. Participants will walk away with the ability to identify anxiety symptoms and apply immediate interventions to address psychological symptoms and reduce the likelihood of continuation of issues into adulthood.
Why Attend?:
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
8:30am - 4:00pm May 1, 2026
COURSE DESCRIPTION
In today’s increasingly complex educational environments, students are presenting with heightened emotional reactivity, behavioural challenges, anxiety, and difficulties with self-regulation. Educators and mental health professionals are being asked to respond not only to academic needs, but also to the neurological, emotional, and relational factors that influence behaviour and learning.
In this engaging and practical full-day workshop, Steven Feifer draws on decades of experience in school neuropsychology to help participants better understand the why behind challenging student behaviours and the how of effective intervention. Grounded in brain-based research, trauma-informed practice, and social-emotional learning, this workshop offers concrete strategies to support regulation, resilience, emotional intelligence (EQ), and positive behaviour across school settings.
Participants will explore how stress, trauma, and adversity impact brain development, executive functioning, emotional control, and learning readiness. Steven will translate complex neuroscience into accessible, classroom-ready tools that help educators and clinicians move beyond behaviour management toward meaningful regulation and relationship-based support.
Through case examples, interactive discussion, and evidence-informed strategies, participants will learn how to:
This workshop emphasizes practical strategies that can be immediately applied in classrooms, counselling settings, and school systems, helping professionals respond to challenging behaviours with greater confidence, compassion, and effectiveness.
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
By the end of this workshop, participants will be able to:
Steven G. Feifer, D.Ed., ABPdN is dually trained as both a nationally certified school psychologist and board certified pediatric neuropsychologist. He has more than 20 years of experience working directly in public education, and is currently in private practice assessing children…
| Registration | Super Early Bird Fee | Early Bird Fee | Regular Fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| ONE DAY ENROLLMENT | -- | ||
| Individual 1 Day Enrollment | $299.00 | $319.00 | $339.00 |
| 1 Day Group 3-7 | $249.00 | $269.00 | $289.00 |
| 1 Day Group 8-14 | $224.00 | $244.00 | $264.00 |
| 1 Day Group 15+ | $199.00 | $219.00 | $239.00 |
| 1 Day Full-Time Student | $199.00 | $219.00 | $239.00 |
| -- | |||
| TWO DAY ENROLLMENT | -- | ||
| Individual 2 Day Enrollment | $539.00 | $559.00 | $579.00 |
| 2 Day Group 3-7 | $489.00 | $509.00 | $529.00 |
| 2 Day Group 8-14 | $464.00 | $484.00 | $504.00 |
| 2 Day Group 15+ | $439.00 | $459.00 | $479.00 |
| 2 Day Full-Time Student | $439.00 | $459.00 | $479.00 |
| -- | |||
| THREE DAY ENROLLMENT | -- | ||
| Individual 3 Day Enrollment | $719.00 | $739.00 | $759.00 |
| 3 Day Group 3-7 | $669.00 | $689.00 | $709.00 |
| 3 Day Group 8-14 | $644.00 | $664.00 | $684.00 |
| 3 Day Group 15+ | $619.00 | $639.00 | $659.00 |
| 3 Day Full-Time Student | $619.00 | $639.00 | $659.00 |
All fees are per person and in Canadian Dollars ($CAD)
Fees do not include applicable taxes (5% GST).
Super early bird cutoff date: February 28, 2026
To receive the super early bird rate, registration and payment must be received by Saturday, February 28, 2026.
Early bird cutoff date: March 29, 2026
To receive the early bird rate, registration and payment must be received by Sunday, March 29, 2026.
Please review our Registration Terms and Conditions for information on our cancellation policy, payment policies, rebates, and more. You must agree to our Terms and Conditions to register for a workshop or conference.
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Exhibitors are welcome at this event. We are pleased to offer sponsorship opportunities to businesses and organizations that provide services related to nursing, psychotherapy, addictions treatment, counselling, marriage & family therapy, psychology and other related fields.
→ More information
680 Montreal St, Victoria, BC V8V 1Z8
phone: 250.386.8721
website: www.laurelpoint.com/
Our rates:
Please contact the hotel directly for the best available rates.
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