De-escalating Children and Youth in Crisis: Skills for Emotional Regulation

If you are in a support role, it is crucial to know how to help children and youth return to calm during a crisis. When stressed, everyone’s nervous system is hardwired to react with protective patterns such as fight, flight, or freeze. Young people are especially vulnerable because their nervous systems are still developing, and they lack the self-regulation skills needed to calm down. An adult who can help them co-regulate can often de-escalate the situation.

In this workshop, you will learn a trauma-informed de-escalation framework, built on neurobiology and attachment. The role that emotions, trauma, and adverse childhood experiences play in escalating a crisis will also be explored, and you’ll gain fun and creative skills for engaging children, adolescents, and the adults who support them, including breathwork, movement, music, art, mindfulness, and play.