Resource Spotlight:
a ministry of America World Adoption
“….a threefold cord is not quickly broken.” Ecclesiastes 4:12
Empowered to Connect
Hi! My name is Bonnie Westfall and I am the new Post Adoption Associate at America World Adoption. Last week I was excited to attend the Empowered to Connect conference along with some other staff at America World. During this conference, we learned about Trust-Based Relational Intervention (TBRI). TBRI is a therapeutic model that was developed by Dr. Karyn Purvis and Dr. David Cross. This model was created to be a holistic intervention for parents and caregivers of children who come from hard places. TBRI focuses on empowering, attachment, and correction. We learned so much during this conference that it would be impossible to overview all of the information in one blog post. However, I wanted to discuss one part of the conference that I thought would be helpful for many parents. This is the concept of “re-dos.”
Re-dos can be used to correct behavior in a way that builds a connection. For example, if a child is not listening you can simply say “how about a re-do” or “let’s try that again.” This allows the child to re-do his or her behavior and then everyone can move on. Re-dos can prevent the behavior from escalating by correcting it before it gets worse. This method empowers the child while also building a connection between the parent and the child. Some behaviors can be solved by simply doing a re-do instead of consequences or other forms of punishment. Re-dos should be encouraging and done in a playful tone. This allows the child to correct his or her behavior while they are regulated.
For more parenting tools and information on TBRI go to Empowered to Connect, or I strongly suggest The Connected Child written by Dr. Karyn Purvis and Dr. David Cross. Feel free to contact me directly, or email ACT@awaa.org, if we can help you in any way!
Bonnie Westfall joined America World Adoption in later 2017 as the new Post Adoption Associate. She is currently pursuing a Master’s degree in Human Services Counseling / Crisis Response and Trauma through Liberty University.