Family Life Symposium is honored to feature Dr. Barbara Sorrels, author of Reaching and Teaching Children Exposed to Trauma, who will share her expertise related to harmed children. This year’sSymposiumwill be held on November 1-2at Adams Boulevard Church of Christ, 3700 SE Adams Blvd., in Bartlesville, Oklahoma. At the Symposium, Dr. Sorrels will provide tools and strategies adults can use with children exposed to trauma to start them on the path to healing. She will also discuss identification of maltreatment and unhealthy patterns of development.
Dr. Sorrels’ experiences as a parent, caregiver, university professor, consultant, and children’s pastor bring a unique and relatable quality to her work, speaking, and writing. “I help parents and teachers understand what makes kids tick by ‘looking under the hood’ and understanding basic principles of child development.” In addition to writing Reaching and Teaching Children Exposed to Trauma,Dr. Sorrels also wrote Nurturing Healthy Attachment:Build Parent-Child Connections to Last a Lifetime. She has a blog on her web page (http://www.drbarbarasorrels.com) and a DVD series titled Impact of Trauma on Healthy Child Development: Insight for Adoptive Families, Foster Families, and Caregivers.
Dr. Sorrels holds a doctorate in Early Childhood Education from Oklahoma State University, a master’s degree in Christian Education from Southwestern Seminary, and a bachelor’s degree from the University of Maryland. She has had over 20 years of classroom experience teaching children of all ages, and over five years’ experience teaching graduate and undergraduate students at Oklahoma State University. She is Executive Director of The Institute for Childhood Education and also founded and directed early childhood centers located in Washington, D. C. and Fort Worth, Texas.
Dr. Sorrels will speak at two events for this year’s Family Life Symposium with the first session, a free event, scheduled for Thursday evening, November 1, beginning at 6:30 p.m. During this session, Dr. Sorrels’ topic is“The Impact of Trauma on Healthy Growth and Development.”
Trauma is defined as anything that potentially threatens the physical and/or emotional safety of a child. This session will identify forms of relational trauma that undermines healthy growth of children and how it impacts the brain. All interested adults and teens are encouraged to attend Thursday’s free event.
The second event on Friday, November 2, begins at 8:30 a.m. and concludes at 4:00 p.m. This $55 workshop session isdesigned for educators, ministers, professionals, parents, and counselors. CEU’s will be available. Friday’s topics include:
- The Impact of Trauma on Healthy Growth and Development
- The Power of Relationships
- When Self-Regulation Goes Offline
- Creating Environments that Heal
Pre-register for Friday’s Symposium by October 30 at www.familylifesymposium.orgat a cost of $55. Friday’s registration fee is waived for college students with a current student ID.
The Family Life Symposium of Bartlesville, Oklahoma, was established in 1988 as a result of the suicide death of Eric Krase. Our mission is to support families and children in the Bartlesville area through quality training aimed at strengthening relational skills.
For more information regarding Family Life Symposium, check our web site: www.familylifesymposium.org,
our Facebook page: www.facebook.com/FamilyLifeSymposium,
or contact Kerry at ickleberrykg@bps-ok.orgor Charissa at charissadunn1@gmail.com.