Empowered To Connect

Archive for Audio

Talking With Children About the Difficult Realities

Posted on Thursday, January 21st, 2010

Along with the joys and blessings of adoption and foster care come some difficult and often painful realities – issues such as grief, loss, abandonment, past trauma and the need for forgiveness, just to name a few. It is important for adoptive and foster parents to be prepared to help their children navigate these emotional and complex issues, and to make sense of their own personal story as well.

This talk, entitled Not Your Everday Conversation: Talking with Your Children About the Difficult Realities of Adoption and Foster Care, was presented by Michael and Amy Monroe at the 2009 Tapestry Adoption & Foster Care Conference. The talk focuses on these and other issues in an open and honest way, and provides specific tools to help parents effectively communicate with their children about the difficult realities of their past in order to help prepare them for their future.

audio recording of this presentation (mp3 file)

You can also download the handouts for this presentation.

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The Connecting Link

Posted on Wednesday, November 11th, 2009

We were made to connect – with each other, with creation and with our Creator. As a result, one of the greatest gifts that parents can give to their children is a strong and lasting sense of connection. In The Connecting Link: What Parents Need to Bring Healing to Their Children, delivered at the 2009 Tapestry Adoption & Foster Care Conference, Dr. Purvis focuses on this important topic.

In this talk, Dr. Purvis provides parents with a better understanding of why children from hard places use distancing strategies, and how they can help their children replace those strategies by giving them voice, empowering them to make choices and helping them rediscover their inherent preciousness. In addition, Dr. Purvis challenges parents to better understand what they bring to the relationship, and to look at their own past hurts and loss with honesty and forgiveness.

audio recording of this presentation (mp3 file)

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Children from Hard Places: What Everyone Needs to Know

Posted on Sunday, August 2nd, 2009

“Children from Hard Places.” This is the phrase used by Dr. Purvis and others to describe children that have experienced some type of abuse, neglect or trauma during their lives (including prenatal exposure to substances or high levels stress, difficult labor or birth before or medical trauma). Obviously, this phrase applies to most children who were adopted or spent time in foster care.
audio recording of this presentation (mp3 file)

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Interview with Dr. Karyn Purvis on Think (KERA)

Posted on Saturday, August 1st, 2009

Listen to Dr. Purvis’ 2007 interview on Think (KERA) about her book, The Connected Child, and the interventions and practical approaches that have helped countless parents create healthy and healing connections with their children.

audio recording of this presentation (mp3 file)

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Practical Tools in Bringing Hope & Healing to Adoptive/Foster Families

Posted on Friday, July 17th, 2009

Listen to the audio recording of this presentation by Dr. Purvis at Summit IV (hosted by Christian Alliance for Orphans) in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. (Note: This file is large and may take a moment to download and begin playing.)

audio recording of this presentation (mp3 file)

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The Attachment Dance: How Abuse & Neglect Drive Attachment Problems

Posted on Wednesday, July 8th, 2009

Over 100 people joined Texas Care at the Texas Capitol on October 3rd to hear Dr. Karyn Purvis speak on “The Attachment Dance: How Abuse and Neglect Drive Attachment Problems.”

Opening the presentation, Dr. Purvis analyzed drawings that children had made of their families and pointed out indicators that a child either feels a part of a healthy family unit or disconnected from other household members. She then explained the attachment cycle and how it affects a child behaviorally and neurochemically when he or she expresses a need that is met or, conversely, when that need is not met.  The impact of this cycle on a child’s behavior, self-regulation, and mental health were discussed, as well as the importance of touch and sensory stimulation in forming healthy attachment between a baby and caregiver.

http://www.texanscareforchildren.org/admin/PurvisFull.mp3

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Midday Connection Interview with Dr. Karyn Purvis

Posted on Wednesday, July 8th, 2009

The adoption of a child is always a joyous moment in the life of a family. Some adoptions, though, present unique challenges. Listen to Karyn Purvis’ interview on Midday Connection on Moody Radio as she talks about some of these challenges like building bonds of affection and trust, learning to deal with behavioral disorders and other issues.

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Beyond Talking to Empowering

Posted on Wednesday, April 29th, 2009

Many adoptive families understand the importance of talking with their children about adoption. As our children get older, however, it becomes increasingly important that we empower them to handle situations on their own and equip them to speak for themselves. This session at the 2008 Tapestry Adoption & Foster Care Conference focused on how to effectively communicate with your child and others about adoption and how to move beyond merely talking to empowering your child.

http://www.irvingbible.org/fileadmin/ibc/ministries/community_care/tapestry/media_and_news/2008ConferenceMedia/Beyond_Talking.mp3

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