Neufeld Intensive Two

course overview

In the Level Two Intensive the constructs of attachment, stuckness and vulnerability are applied more specifically to the common problems of childhood and youth: aggression, resistance, oppositionality, bullying, distractability, impulsiveness, anxiety, separation problems, alarm problems, dominance problems, attachment problems, and more. The objective is to make sense of these problems and from this foundation of insight, to outline strategies for treatment and intervention.

This course is taught each summer in Vancouver by Dr. Neufeld but is available around the world at any time through our distance education program. The prerequisite for this course is the Level One Intensive. The Intensive Two is required before entry into our authorization programs or internship program.

brief description

Most problem behaviour is rooted in instinct and emotion and is therefore unresponsive to conventional forms of discipline or behaviour management. When the developmental antecedents are understood, the path to effective intervention becomes clear. The key to accurate analysis is an understanding of the dynamics of attachment, vulnerability and maturation. These conceptual keys are provided in the Level One Intensive and then used in Level Two to unlock the mysteries of aggression, bullying, resistance, oppositionality, anxiety, obsessions, addiction, suicidal impulses, agitation, impulsiveness, distractibility, and much more.

Dr. Neufeld’s wealth of clinical experience with the most troubled populations of children and youth provide the basis for his insightful analysis and proven interventions. His ability to unravel the most perplexing problems to reveal the contributing dynamics, renders the troubling behaviours not only understandable but surprisingly treatable.

suitability and applicability

The course is primarily addressed to those who are professional involved with children but is open to (and well attended by) parents who are seeking to make sense of their children. No previous background or formal education in the social sciences is required although the ability to handle university-level instruction helps. Although the focus is primarily on children and those responsible for them, the intensives have also been found useful by adult therapists and marriage counsellors. Participants include educators of all kinds, parents and grandparents, behaviour specialists, counsellors, therapists, art therapists, psychologists, pediatricians, university professors, psychiatrists, family physicians, nurses, social workers, youth workers, ministers, care providers and foster parents. This course is applicable to all settings and venues involving children but will be especially useful to those involved with children who have trouble learning and behaving. The course is particularly recommended for anyone involved or wishing to become involved in parent consulting or parent coaching. The material applies to children of all ages as well as to adults, although the focus of the course is children and adolescents.

organizing thesis and construct

After a life-time of putting the puzzle pieces together, Dr. Neufeld has discovered that when diverse childhood problems are traced to their very beginnings, the inevitable triggering experience is usually some form or variation of separation - anticipated or real. There is no other single experience that has more impact on our emotions, our instincts or our defensive systems. An understanding of separation and its impact prepares the way for making sense of a myriad of symptoms and then paves the way for change.

distance education course details

The distance education format is beneficial for those who are unable to attend an onsite course either because of location or circumstance, or who are wanting to work at their own pace from home. The group format is also great for those within an agency, school or community to be able to study together and benefit from group discussion and extra support, as well as building a common foundation to work from.

The distance education course consists of 20 one-hour sessions of DVD material. The tuition is $750 per individual, and $600 when taken in a group of five or more individuals.

Groups of 5 or more will have the added benefit of a Neufeld Institute faculty member, who will assist in the group process and provide support. This support may be in the form of a workshop, videoconferencing or telephone sessions to address questions. Hours of support are proportional to group size. Arrangements to be made through the group coordinator.

Besides English, the Intensive II is also available in French, German and Hebrew.

The distance education course includes

  • a set of DVDs with Dr. Neufeld's presentation and slides
  • a study guide which includes the course slides for note-taking
  • a study pass for six months to the Virtual Campus for internet support, access to other resource materials and recordings, a discussion forum, and a Q&A forum moderated by Neufeld Institute faculty

course accreditation for the Intensive II

Credit is granted by some universities and continuing education credit is granted by various institutions, school districts and professional bodies. Please contact the course coordinator for additional information.

about the theoretical model

The model is the result of years of synthesis and distillation and is rooted in depth psychology, grounded in the developmental paradigm, saturated in attachment theory and congruent with current neurological research. It has also been honed by forty years of professional practice, parenting and personal reflection. The model has been used effectively in a wide variety of venues and settings: parenting, classroom, special behaviour programs, alternate education settings, therapy, correctional settings, aboriginal communities, adoption, counseling, and the foster system.

about Neufeld’s approach

The approach is distinctly developmental and thus in contrast to the current cognitive behavioural fare as well as to the medical disorder approach. Many find it a refreshing alternative to today’s smorgasbord approach to treatment and to the presentation of strategies divorced from their philosophical moorings. The developmental approach is usually somewhat inaccessible because of the esoteric terminology, confusing constructs and fragmented theorizing that tends to characterize it. Developmentalists do not generally have a reputation for being able to make themselves easily understood; Dr. Neufeld is a notable exception in this regard.

primary objective of the course

The primary objective of the Level Two Intensive is to uncover the deep emotional and developmental roots of the most challenging problems of childhood and thus prepare the way for effective and long-lasting intervention. Both the behavioural and the disorder approaches fail to provide explanations and as a result, also fail to provide effective suggestions for getting to the root of the problem. The prevailing focus on symptom management and incident management leaves the root problems unaddressed and behavioural changes short-lived. Insight and understanding is pivotal to effective and permanent change.

topics covered in the course

  • separation as the epicenter of troubling behavior of all kinds
  • the three systems of defense against separations that are intolerable
  • a three pronged approach to address the underlying issue of separation
  • pursuit in the face of separation and the accompanying problems of insecurity, depersonalization, and neurosis
  • the anatomy of alarm; including perceptions, feelings, impulses, emotions, physiology, and chemistry
  • understanding and addressing anxiety based alarm problems, including obsessions, compulsions, neurotic behaviors
  • understanding and addressing agitation and adrenalin based alarm problems, including attention problems, reckless behavior, delinquent activity
  • attention problems rooted in neurological impairment and attention problems rooted in defendedness; and how to address each type of attention problem
  • seeing frustration at the root of depression and aggression problems
  • how to address aggression problems and why conventional discipline backfires
  • behavior problems that result from being stuck in alpha, including bullying, aggression, eating problems, counterwill and alarm
  • understanding and addressing detachment and counterwill problems
  • how to help adults with the children in their care

course outline (for both the onsite and distance education formats)

The Separation Complex
Session 1: The Separation Complex
Session 2: Facing Separation
Session 3: Pursuit in the Face of Separation

Alarm
Session 4: Making Sense of Alarm
Session 5: A Working Alarm System
Session 6: Anxiety and Neurosis
Session 7: Anxiety and Neurosis Part II
Session 8: Agitation and Adrenalin-based Alarm Problems

Addressing Separation
Session 9: Addressing Separation

Attention Problems
Session 10: Attention Problems

Aggression
 Session 11: Making Sense of Aggression
Session 12: Addressing Aggression
Session 13: Addressing Aggression Part II

Dominance and Bully Problems
Session 14: The Alpha Complex and The Bully Instinct
Session 15: The Causes and Consequences of Being Alpha
Session 16: Addressing Alpha Problems

Defensive Detachment
Session 16: Defensive Detachment

Counterwill
Session 18: Making Sense of Counterwill
Session 19: Reading Counterwill
Session 20: Addressing Counterwill