Breakout Sessions

TBRI® 101 - What is TBRI® and Why Does it Matter? (Breakout Full)

Offered During Breakout Session 1

Anthony Troyer works as a TBRI® trainer for Village to Village International and as a child and family therapist at The Cottage At 933. His experiences as a teacher and as a foster/adoptive dad over the last 10 years have led him to be a passionate advocate for vulnerable youth in the community. He enjoys helping parents, teachers, and other caregivers better understand the needs and behaviors of their kids.

Matt Borst is an experienced TBRI® Practitioner, serving as the Executive Director of Village to Village International. He has trained numerous organizations and schools on implementing TBRI® strategies. Matt is married with five children, and his passion for helping families and children drives his work in the field of child development.

Breakout Description

Have you heard about TBRI® but aren’t quite sure what it is or how it works? In this session, participants will learn about the basics of Trust-Based Relational Intervention (TBRI®).

TBRI® is built on three core principles: Connecting, Empowering, and Correcting. Speakers will touch on how these principles work together to help children feel safe, valued, and understood. Speakers will also share practical strategies for building trust, managing challenging behaviors, and creating environments where children can thrive.

Whether you are a parent, teacher, caregiver, or professional working with children, this session will provide a clear understanding of what TBRI® is and why it is a powerful tool for supporting children from hard places.

Sharing Power and Control

Offered During Breakout Session 1

Cindy Lee is a counselor specializing in children, adolescents, and adults, with expertise in attachment issues. She completed TBRI® training in 2012 and has since conducted numerous trainings for clinicians and foster parents. Cindy is the Executive Director and Co-Founder of the HALO Project, a 10-week program for children in foster care or adopted children with attachment difficulties. She co-authored the TBRI® Counselor’s Manual with the Karyn Purvis Institute of Child Development and has published a series of TBRI®-based children's books. Additionally, Cindy developed "Making Sense of Your Worth," an 8-week curriculum focused on building secure attachment, which is taught globally. She is also trained in Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TFCBT), EMDR, and other therapeutic modalities, and holds a Master’s in Social Work from Arizona State University.

Breakout Description

Many children who have experienced harm exhibit a high need to be in control. In this session, Cindy provides the many possible reasons why this is happening and a core strategy you can use to help your child with this issue. For some families, this one thing comes easy, for others, it requires time and effort to master. This session provides insight into this core strategy, why you may or may not struggle providing it, and how to master it.

TBRI® Strategies for Implementation

Offered During Breakout Session 2

David Gaona is the Assistant Executive Director at Lifeline Youth Ministries and became part of the team after graduating from Word of Life Bible Institute in 2016. David became a TBRI® Practitioner in 2023 and is a strong advocate for integrating TBRI® into the programming at Lifeline. He feels privileged to be able to provide a safe, loving place for students to be themselves.

Mandy Rice is the Program Operations Coordinator for Healthy Families at CAPS. She is a TBRI® Practitioner that utilizes TBRI® personally and professionally. Mandy trains others within her organization on TBRI® and how to implement the TBRI® strategies to promote positive parent-child interactions. Mandy and her significant other have six children and are very involved with extracurriculars. In any downtime Mandy enjoys reading and continuing her education to pursue her passion of supporting families to keep children free from abuse and neglect.

Breakout Description

David & Mandy will share their journeys of how they were introduced to TBRI®, as well as how they are actively implementing TBRI® in their personal and professional lives. They will lead attendees in a group activitity and discussion to better equip attendees with practical and relevant implementation strategies.

The Value of Attachment (Breakout Full)

Offered During Breakout Session 1

Geoffrey Nelson is a Training and Consultation specialist with the Karyn Purvis Institue of Child Development. Based in Waco, Texas, he lives with his wife and two sons and has been dedicated to TBRI® since 2015. His journey began at the Methodist Children’s Home, where he became a TBRI® educator and practitioner, launching a career focused on supporting children and families.

Over nearly a decade, Geoffrey has applied TBRI® principles in diverse settings, including Residential Treatment Centers, foster care and adoption agencies, schools, and corrections.

Geoffrey is passionate about creating meaningful change for individuals of all ages. Inspired by Dr. Karyn Purvis’ words, “I don’t care if they are one, or 100. People all need the same kinds of stuff”, he continues to champion the transformative impact of TBRI® in his work and community.

Breakout Description

In this session, Geoffrey will share about the attachment cycle — how it works and why it matters. To start, individuals will learn more about what happens during the attachment process. Then, Geoff will discuss how this knowledge can equip and empower individuals to better understand themselves and the people they have relationships with."

Making Sense of Your Worth

Offered During Breakout Sessions 1 & 2

Jessie Hyde is a former teacher and school administrator who currently serves as a training specialist and consultant in TBRI® and Making Sense of Your Worth with an amazing team of women at HopeAlight. Jessie's love for teaching children grew into a passion for helping adults understand the most effective and powerful ways to meet the needs of their students. She's always had a heart for children who come from a history of adversity and feels so grateful to fulfill her calling in this work. Jessie is also a mom to three children of her own (one who is neurodiverse) and, alongside her husband, uses TBRI® and her knowledge of self-worth in her home daily.

Breakout Description

Self-worth is one of the greatest gifts we can give our children (and ourselves!). So many children believe the lies that they aren't good enough, smart enough, or that they don't belong. Some children believe they are unlovable or have made mistakes they will never overcome. These lies then drive their behaviors, perspectives, relationships, etc. The wonderful news is those lies can all be unwired if we have the tools, language and understanding to build healthy attachment and increase self-worth in our kids. Researchers have found that those with a solid foundation of worth have a high degree of competence, are well-liked, can use their voice to get their needs met, are persistent, are creative, trust others, value relationships and are socially competent. This session will equip adults in a deeper understanding of how worth is formed and give tools to build worth in the children they care for and support.

TBRI® From the Inside Out: Building Connection and Empowerment From Within (Breakout Full)

Offered During Breakout Session 2

Kalyn Lantz is a licensed counselor at Porch View Counseling in Chicago, IL. Kalyn has a wide range of experiences in both private practice and community mental health. Prior to that, Kalyn worked as direct care staff at a residential home for teenagers. She works primarily with children, teenagers, young adults and parents. Kalyn uses a whole person, embodied approach to therapy from a trauma, attachment, and narrative perspective to address issues related to grief and loss, trauma, anxiety, parenting, foster/adoptive care, and nervous system dysregulation. She is trained in TBRI®, Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing, trauma-focused narrative storywork, and Polyvagal Theory. Kalyn sees TBRI® as a framework not just for families with kids from hard places, but as a framework for all relationships and systems. It informs nearly every aspect of her work and life.

Breakout Description

What do you do when the little kid in you is at war with or scared of the little kid in front of you? This workshop invites parents, caregivers, and adults to explore how their personal stories and experiences influence their ability to connect with children in their care. By connecting to their own bodies and histories, participants will uncover the barriers that may prevent authentic connection and learn how to apply the TBRI® principles of Connection and Empowerment from the inside out. This session will help caregivers better understand how their past impacts present relationships and provide practical tools for fostering a deeper, more compassionate connection with themselves and the children they care for.

TBRI® Insight From a School Perspective

Offered During Breakout Session 1

Kim Branham is currently the Principal at Woodview Elementary with Wa-Nee Community Schools and a TBRI® Practitioner. She has 12 years of elementary principal experience and 12 years of teaching experience. She has served as an educator in 3 Elkhart County School Corporations. She has launched an Expeditionary Learning Model in a school as well as led intentional social and emotional support frameworks in the elementary buildings she has directed. Her passion is building strong staff and student culture in a school that allocates for safe and limitless learning opportunities.

Mindi Mattern has been in education for 22 years and is a TBRI® Practitioner. She currently serves as the Dean of Students at Nappanee Elementary School with Wa-Nee Community Schools with her loyal companion and beloved school therapy dog, Polly. She is so thankful to have the opportunity to utilize the principles of TBRI® with both students and staff.

Breakout Description

Join educator leaders for an opportunity to dive into TBRI® from the school perspective. This educator team will share how TBRI® initiatives have been utilized at the district and school level. They will be sharing some practical ideas on bringing next steps to your organization and/or classroom. The session will have opportunities to ask the presenters questions relevant to your current situations. It will also be a chance to share exciting TBRI® strategies specifically focused on education. Bring your questions and excitement! TBRI® can be a changing agent in your school!

TBRI® - A Path to Trauma-Informed Residential & Justice Systems (Part 1 & 2)

Part 1 Offered During Breakout Session 1 and Part 2 Offered During Breakout Session 2

Lori Meyers has served the past 15 years as the Juvenile Director of Johnson County Community Corrections, Juvenile Division. In addition, she has spent the last 30 years working in the juvenile justice system. Lori is a TBRI® Practitioner and Making Sense of your Worth Facilitator. Lori is Co-Director of Foundation for Hope camp, a therapeutic, TBRI®-based camp in Columbus, Indiana, established to heal the impact of trauma in our most vulnerable families. She has spent the last 30 years as an Experiential Educator, developing and managing low ropes challenge courses for the City of Franklin, Parks and Recreation, and Indiana FFA Leadership Center. Lori now operates her own LLC, Connect Ed, part-time to merge her passions for professional teambuilding, leadership development, trauma-informed skill building, and rhythmic drum healing. Lori lives in her hometown of Franklin, IN, and is the mother of two grown daughters, and their husbands, and a Gigi to one grandson. Her current passions are time with family, pickleball, leading drum circles, and anything that leads her to natural environments.

Breakout Description

Part 1:

How can TBRI® be implemented fully into residential, secure and/or justice related environments? Lori will share the process of culture change and strategies adopted within the Johnson County Court Services and Adult and Juvenile Justice systems in Johnson County, Indiana. These changes have yielded a reduction in incident reports, lock downs, and use of force, which in turn has increased job satisfaction and staff retention. In this session, Lori will provide practical, affordable methods for the implementation of TBRI®, and will likely dispel some of the myths and barriers that are preventing your agency from being a trauma responsive and healing environment.

Part 2:

This breakout session has intentionally been created as a follow up from Lori's first breakout session discussing trauma-informed approaches in residential and justice settings. Participants will be able to ask questions and discuss practical strategies for implementation for youth in more structured settings. Participants for this session are encouraged to attend Lori's morning session (TBRI® - A Path to Trauma-Informed Residential and Justice Systems) prior to attending this session.

FASDs: Strategies from the Counseling Room (Breakout Full)

Offered During Breakout Session 2

Breakout Description

Fetal-Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASDs): According to the CDC, up to 1 in 20 U.S. school children may have FASDs. Yet, clinicians and families are unfamiliar with the impacts an FASD can have on a child, family and system. This session will provide a quick overview of how an FASD can impact and child and a few strategies to assist with some of the more common behaviors being presented by children and families.

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