MVLA Parent Education: Cultivating Resilience from the Inside Out

In this presentation Dr. Siegel will explore the nature of the changes in the developing brain and how they set the stage for childhood and adolescent mental, physical, and interpersonal well-being. A “Yes-Brain” refers to how we can support the receptive brain activation within our families and schools, as opposed to the “No-Brain” state of reactivity with its fight, flight, freeze, and faint responses to threat. Childhood and adolescence are essential parts of our development and our evolution – and how we approach these states with the positive, growth-mindset of a Yes-Brain can cultivate resilience and well- being in youth.

Dr. Siegel illuminates how this “inside out approach” to the first and second dozen years of life gives us an exciting new perspective on the essence of development, including changes in the integrative functioning of the brain. These features of the developing brain set the stage for changes that not only shape our life as adults, but can be seen as essential to how we thrive as a human community.