Gordon Neufeld, Ph.D - The Neufeld Institute

NEW RELEASE - Adolescence and Sexuality: A fresh look at today’s youth using the latest understandings of human sexuality - a 4 session videocourse

Today’s adolescents live in a hypersexualized culture. Most have received a school- based sex education where safe sex typically refers to physical intimacy that is free of sexually transmitted diseases or unwanted pregnancy. Despite their greater exposure and education, current evidence suggests that many youth are in trouble sexually and that their sexual development is not unfolding as it should.

How is sexuality meant to develop? What is happening today that is different than in previous generations? How does sex affect the brain and bonding? In this course, Dr. Neufeld examines sexuality through the lenses of attachment, maturation and vulnerability. He sheds light on why adolescents are losing their timidity, why sexual interaction is on the rise, and why sexual bullying is becoming a problem. He explores the meaning of safe sex from an attachment-based developmental perspective and provides suggestions for contributing to the healthy unfolding of sexuality in our youth.

This course has been developed for all those involved with today’s teens including parents, teachers and helping professionals. It is also useful preparation for parents of pre-teens. This course is highly recommended for ALL who are involved in the sexual education of our youth, whether formally in school or more significantly at home.

NEW RELEASE - The Art and Science of Transplanting Children - an 8 session videocourse

We are most pleased to announce the release of this videocourse. From early reviews, the response is enthusiastic. One counselor in the adoption field who previewed this course proclaimed “It was a wonderful course and the material was laid out the best of any of the courses to date”. Over the years, Dr. Neufeld has done a lot of work in the adoption and foster communities and his hope is that with this course, he can make a significant contribution to this challenging arena.

 This course is primarily presented to parents and supporting professionals in the foster and adoptive communities but the content also applies to step parenting as well. This course is also suitable for the support cast of surrogate parents: teachers, grandparents, uncles and aunts.

The following is from the description on the back of the DVD cover: 

The impact of attachment disruption, even when in the best interests of the child, can be deep and profound, interfering with even the most loving and skilled attempts to raise the child by foster parents, adoptive parents or step parents. When such children fail to adequately re-attach to the parent or parents who are raising them, or who are unable to recover from the impact of the attachment disruption, nothing works as it should.

Our practices with such children need to be founded on a solid knowledge base of their attachment needs and of the effects that attachment disruption can have on subsequent development and receptivity to care. Transplanting children - whether the result of remarriage, adoption, parental loss, removal, or change in custody - constitutes the most difficult challenge in raising children. Like plants, it is all about their attachment roots; unlike plants, it is a great deal more complicated.

NEW RELEASE - Making Sense of Play: WHY children need to play and WHAT they need for true play to result - 2 hour presentation

Play - at least the kind that builds brains and forwards development - is becoming an endangered activity among those who need to engage in it most. Part of the problem is the premature pressure on children to learn and to become socialized. Another factor is the amount of screen time that children engage in. The most significant factor however is the failure to provide the conditions that result in the kind of play that helps children realize their true potential.

The information contained in this two-hour course is a must for all parents, day-care providers, and early childhood educators who wish their young charges to become all they were meant to be. Play is not optional from a developmental point of view. Participants not only learn what kind of play is most beneficial but also how to support this activity in children. The information in this two-hour seminar applies to children of all ages although the primary focus is young childhood.

NEW RELEASE - Making Sense of Discipline: the INs and OUTs of imposing order on children¹s behaviour  - a 3 hour videocourse plus 1 hour bonus material

Most every parent and teacher wants to know what to do when .... This tends to be the most pressing and universal issue in dealing with children. Finding the right answers to these questions becomes more challenging when parents and teachers are concerned about issues like attachment and healthy development and do not want their discipline methods to undermine or sabotage these processes. At the same time however there is the responsibility to teach the lessons that need to be learned and to impose order when required.

This three hour course speaks to the question of what to do when ..., but does so in the larger context of what is required to raise children to their full potential as human beings. Some of the prevailing discipline practices - like time-outs and consequences - are discussed from this perspective. In three short hours, participants have the opportunity to develop a comprehensive approach to discipline with strategies that are attachment-safe and developmentally friendly. The ultimate objective of this course is for parents and teachers to come to the place where the answers will come from their own understanding and where they possess the inner confidence to handle the small stuff as well as the more challenging issues. In addition to the three one-hour sessions, the DVD set comes with 1 hour of bonus material- Session 7 of Power to Parent III - that deals with the special challenges of imposing order on stuck kids.

Hold On To Your Kids - the DVD - a 2 hour presentation

This two-hour presentation by Dr. Neufeld captures the heart and soul of his book and the warmth that is hard to convey in writing. Those who have read the book comment on how much more accessible this presentation makes the written material. Those who prefer viewing to reading don't have to miss out on what this book has to offer. This live presentation was professionally videographed and produced.

The DVD comes in three versions: English only, English with a French voice-over option, and for European customers, English with a German voice-over option in the European PAL format. Please indicate your preference when ordering.

Relationship Matters DVD - a 2 hour presentation

This is a professional recording of an outstanding presentation by Dr. Neufeld to a full house at the world famous Chan Centre for the Performing Arts in Vancouver, BC. The talk was received enthusiastically by both long-time students of Neufeld's approach as well as by those who had heard him for the first time. According to the audience, Dr. Neufeld did a brilliant job of explaining why a child's relationship to the adults responsible must be the context for parenting and teaching. All the basic constructs of his teaching are woven into this captivating presentation. If wanting to get a taste of this refreshing approach, or wanting to introduce someone else to Neufeld, this is the place to start.

DVD backcover description: Society has changed. So too have the challenges of parenting and teaching. We all want our children to realize their full potential. We all want our children to become caring and considerate individuals. Yet achieving these outcomes seems to be getting harder in today's world. How do we provide the conditions children need to truly grow up? How do we provide direction and discipline without it backfiring? How do we shield our children against the rising tide of aggression and bullying? Dr. Gordon Neufeld addresses these issues and points to a way through. His approach is refreshing and his insights make sense, not only of today's society but also of the children and youth in our care.

The Power to Parent Series - the complete set of three sequential 8 session video-courses

The Power to Parent series is a relationship-based approach to parenting that restores parents to their natural intuition and helps children realize their innate potentials as human beings. Dr. Neufeld takes the best that developmental science has to offer and delivers it directly to the people who are the child's best bet. Dr. Neufeld offers a coherent approach that can guide parents in all their parental interactions with children of all ages. The series is meant to be taken in sequence. Each video-course consists of 8 one-hour sessions. The series can be purchased individually or as a set. These courses are designed for both self and group study, parent education and professional development. For parent educators wishing to facilitate these video-courses, please consult the website for information on certification.

The Vital Connection (Part I of the Power to Parent Series) - an 8 session videocourse

In the first volume of this three-part series, Dr. Neufeld focuses on the child-adult relationship as the context for raising children. Parents and professional learn how this relationship is meant to develop, what can go wrong, why peers must not matter more than parents, the true meaning of shyness, how to cultivate a context of connection, how to win back one's child if need be, how to preserve the connection, and more. Parents and professionals also learn about the kinds of interactions and discipline that erode the relationship and effective alternatives that are attachment-safe. 

The video-course is designed for both self and group study. The DVD format permits easy navigation and allows the videocourse to be viewed on one's personal computer, through the television set, or projected on a screen for small or large audience participation. A course outline is provided for note-taking and review. Certification is required for group facilitation. Details of the facilitator training and certification program is available on the training page. Consult the course syllabus for more information regarding content, outline, themes and objectives.The DVD video-course comes in two versions: English only with a Q&A option, and English with an optional audio-track containing French voice-overs. Please indicate your preference when ordering on the "Order Confirmation Page."

Helping Children Grow Up (Part II of the Power to Parent Series) - an 8 session videocourse

How do we nurture our children and provide the necessary elements for growth? How do we remove the impediments to becoming their own persons? Building on the foundation of relationship in Part I of the series, The Vital Connection, this sequel focuses on how to help children realize their potential as human beings. Growing older is no guarantee of growing up. Childhood is when most of the growing up should occur but we need to know how to cultivate the maturing process. This course sheds light on the adult's role in the miracle of maturation.The material is presented in such a way that engages parents while educating professionals as well. The videocourse consists of eight one-hour sessions. It is designed for both self and group study. The DVD format permits easy navigation and allows the videocourse to be viewed on ones personal computer, through the television set, or projected on a screen for small or large audience participation. A course outline is provided for note-taking and review. Certification is required for group facilitation. Details of the facilitator training and certification program is available on the training page. The DVD set comes with a bonus Q&A disc that also includes an interview with Dr. Neufeld.

Common Challenges (Part III of the Power to Parent Series) - an 8 session videocourse

Raising children is rewarding, but not always easy! Every child gets stuck from time to time on the road to maturation and every parent faces challenges at some point on the journey. At these times, we could benefit from experienced insight and practical suggestions that are in the best interest of our children. In this third part of the Power to Parent series, Dr. Neufeld helps equip parents to read the signs of a child in trouble, live with a sensitive child, cultivate resilience in a child, lead an alpha child, soften a defended child, discipline a stuck child, and more.  Dr. Neufeld offers effective and safe practices that honor and preserve the relationship, even when the problems seem daunting. In making sense of a child's experience, parents are better prepared to lead them through challenging times. Certification is required for group facilitation. Details of the facilitator training and certification program is available on the training page.

Power to Teach - a 4 session videocourse for educators

Teaching is getting harder, not easier. This despite the fact that teachers have never been more educated, technology has never been more advanced, curriculum has never been so refined and pedagogy has never been so honed. Although these factors are important, the true problem in schooling lies elsewhere. Dr. Neufeld has been joining the dots for over 35 years and has concluded that the power to teach is being eroded in today's society. In his insightful analysis, Dr. Neufeld uncovers four natural sources of power and reveals the handicaps that result when these are missing. He exposes the reasons why today's teachers more than ever need to harness the power of attachment to do their jobs. He also provides practical suggestions on how to do this. Educators who have been exposed to this material have found it most inspiring and helpful. Group facilitation requires certification.

Making Sense of Adolescence - an 8 session videocourse

Crossing the bridge from childhood to adulthood has never been so daunting. The time of adolescence is longer than ever and yet society today offers little support in understanding or facilitating this transition.  What is nature's purpose?  What is the developmental design?  What is meant to happen? This course is designed to be used by parents, grandparents, teachers, administrators, professionals - anyone who desires to make sense of adolescence. Dr. Neufeld helps shed light into this often dark and confusing time. He gives both the tools and the eyes to see an adolescent through the journey, and articulates why now more than ever adolescents need our help to cross that bridge. Dr. Neufeld's unique distillation of adolescent psychology and the integration of this material with his rich experience with teens both professionally and as a father, forms the basis of these insights and the suggestions he provides. Consult the course page for more information. The DVD video-course comes in two versions: English and French with an optional audio-track containing French voice-overs. Please indicate your preference when ordering on the "Order Confirmation Page."

Making Sense of Attention Problems - a 4 session videocourse

The Attention Deficit Disorder label has brought concerns regarding attention to the fore of public consciousness but unfortunately without the foundational knowledge that enables parents and teachers to find their way through a glut of confusing and often conflicting information. The professionals in charge of diagnosing are often experts at describing the symptoms but tend to come up short when it is time for explanations. Since we can only truly address that which we understand, the prevailing focus in our society has turned to managing symptoms instead of effecting a cure.

There are many kinds of attention problems, most deeply rooted in emotional and developmental dynamics. In this four hour course, participants will gain an understanding of how the attention system develops and what can go wrong and why. Participants will also learn to differentiate between three basic kinds of attention problems that can all lead to an ADD diagnosis. The ultimate objective of the course is to provide the participants with strategies for addressing the roots of the attention problems in such a way that the symptoms abate, regardless of their underlying cause.

For more information regarding outline and topics covered, consult the website courses page.

Making Sense of Aggression - a 4 session videocourse

Aggression problems are deeply rooted in instinct and emotion and therefore resistant to conventional discipline practices. Dr. Neufeld uncovers these roots and outlines steps to addressing them. His rich professional experience with aggressive children and violent youth informs this refreshing approach to an age-old problem. The principles are applicable to children of all ages and to educators and helping professionals in all settings. Parents too can benefit. This material is suitable for both self and group study. Group facilitation requires certification.

Consult the course page for more information.

Making Sense of Counterwill - a 4 session videocourse

The instinct to resist being controlled or coerced is one of the most perplexing and troublesome dynamics in dealing with children and youth. The counterwill instinct is manifest in a myriad of behaviours and attitudes, and some children are highly afflicted. Dr. Neufeld reveals the dynamics controlling this instinct and provides suggestions for how to deal with this troubling phenomenon. This material is applicable for all adults dealing with toddlers through adolescents - teachers, parents and helping professionals. Participants find the insights highly enlightening and life-changing. This material is suitable for both self and group study. Group facilitation requires certification.

Consult the course page for more information.

Bullies - Their Making and Unmaking - a 4 hour videocourse

In this 4.25 hour videocourse, Dr. Neufeld sheds light on this dark side of human nature. This refreshing developmental analysis of bullies reveals instinctive roots embedded in the dynamics of attachment and the flight from vulnerability. The implications for intervention and treatment are profound and largely counter to prevailing approaches. Invited to keynote on Canada's first national conference on bullying, Dr. Neufeld shares the insights that have evolved as a result of years of experience working with bullies of all kinds, combined with his mastery of the developmental literature. Group facilitation requires certification. Please consult the training page for details regarding facilitator training and certification. The videocourse can be divided into four sessions for group study.

Professional / Educators Package - 25% off

The professional / educators package is appropriate for schools, agencies and churches who are wanting to make these resources available to their staff. All videocourses are appropriate for professional development.

1. Power to Parent Series - Parts I, II and III - 8 session courses
   
2. Power to Teach - 4 session course
   
3. Making Sense of Adolescence - 8 session course
   
4. Bullies: their making and unmaking - 4.25 hour course
   
5. Relationship Matters - 2 hour presentation
   

Parents Package - 25% off

This set of videocourses is appropriate for placement in the libraries of schools, churches and family agencies. Parent Participation Preschools will find this a valuable resource to include for their parents in their parent education programs.

1. Hold On To Your Kids DVD - 2 hour presentation
2. Power to Parent series - Parts I, II and III - 8 session videocourses
3. Making Sense of Adolescence - 8 session videocourse