Ninety percent of the world experiences trauma. That number is staggering and a large portion of those affected aren’t aware of how much that trauma can affect their everyday lives.
EPIC Training is not just for parents with children in foster care, but it is applicable to anyone who has or knows someone who has experienced trauma. EPIC addresses the Emotional, Physical, Intellectual, and Character-based needs of children and teens. This two-day commitment teaches ways to grow healthy connections in accessible ways, as you learn to navigate correction with care and understanding.
One element highlighted in EPIC Training is the difference in brain development in children who have experienced significant trauma compared to children who have not. The skull size of a 3-year-old who has experienced neglect and complex trauma is significantly smaller and less developed than that of a 3-year-old who has not experienced complex trauma. This creates a greater likelihood of injury from a fall or other injury and a longer recovery time just due to their past trauma. The fear portion of the brain is also more developed in a child who experienced trauma, which means they are more likely to have extreme reactions to adversity or trouble coping with fearful situations.
When you look at the brain of a teenager with Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), there is significant underdevelopment and much more cerebral fluid. This means reactions, understanding, and communication may look different for this teen, and we cannot expect the same from this teen as we can from a teen without PTSD. This very reason is why taking an EPIC Training is so important. As a parent, you will learn how to appropriately adjust expectations for your child as you focus on connection.
At its core, EPIC Training teaches the healing power of relationship. This unique training combines evidence-based models, reviews developmental stages, shows the benefits of limit-setting, and leverages highly researched interventions, like Trust-Based Relational Intervention (TBRI). The Bible says “Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing one another in love (Ephesians 4:2).” EPIC Training will assist you in being able to accomplish this with these children from hard places.
By learning more about topics like sensory processing, infant mental health, and attachment, you can make strides in strengthening your trauma-informed parenting. There are many opportunities to take an EPIC Training, and you can find them all on our website 4KIDS.us/EPIC/Training. Whether you prefer online or in-person, Broward, Palm Beach, or Treasure Coast, there are a variety of training dates and locations available. “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up (Galatians 6:9).”