About this Event
*THIS EVENT HAS BOTH IN-PERSON AND VIRTUAL ATTENDANCE OPTIONS*
Welcome to The Student-Based Mental Health and Education Summit: Fostering Resilience Through Indigenous Perspectives for At-Risk, Highly Dysregulated, and Technology-Saturated Children and Youth.
On behalf of Jack Hirose & Associates, welcome and thank you for joining us in beautiful Victoria, British Columbia. We are delighted to bring together educators, counsellors, therapists, administrators, and helping professionals from across Canada for three days of practical, evidence-informed learning.
Our conference venue is conveniently located just minutes from Victoria’s picturesque Inner Harbour, marina, restaurants, shops, and many of the city’s most popular attractions. We encourage you to take advantage of your time here by exploring the waterfront, enjoying the local cuisine, and experiencing the unique charm and hospitality that Victoria has to offer.
Throughout the conference, you will explore practical strategies for supporting children and youth facing trauma, emotional dysregulation, mental health challenges, and the impacts of today’s digital world, while gaining valuable insights grounded in Indigenous perspectives and resilience-focused practices.
We hope you enjoy both the conference and your time in Victoria, and leave feeling inspired, connected, and equipped with new ideas to support the children and youth in your communities.
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Education and Clinical Professionals: All education and mental health or healthcare professionals who work with children or youth including, but not limited to K–12 Classroom Teachers, School Counsellors, Learning Assistance/Resource Teachers, School Administrators, School Paraprofessionals including Special Education Assistants, Classroom Assistants and Childcare Workers • All other professionals who support behavioural challenges and complex learning needs including but not limited to: Nurses, Social Workers, Psychologists, Clinical Counsellors, Family Therapists, Occupational Therapists, Speech Language Pathologists, Addiction Counsellors, Youth Workers, Mental Health Workers, Probation Officers and Community Police Officers.
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Day Three – October 30, 2026
Supporting Defended and Disconnected Children and Youth: Reducing Alarm and Building Connection to Foster Resilience, Growth and Emotional Healing
Presented by Ph.D.
8:30am - 4:00pm October 30, 2026
WORKSHOP DESCRIPTION
Some children and youth seem impossible to reach. They resist help, reject relationship, avoid vulnerability, push adults away, or appear emotionally shut down altogether. Traditional behavioural approaches often fail to make headway because the issue is not simply behaviour — it is alarm, adaptation, defended attachment, and much more.
Many of our most vulnerable children have experienced too much separation, instability, stress, disconnection, or emotional pain. Others may have received care but struggle to trust, depend, or receive it. In these contexts, relationship itself can become defended against.
This presentation moves beyond surface-level behaviour management — and even beyond conventional trauma-informed approaches — to explore the developmental and relational roots of disconnection, alarm, and emotional defenses. Participants will gain insight into why some children resist closeness, why caring adults can feel shut out, and how alarm and attachment dynamics shape behaviour, learning, and emotional well-being.
Grounded in developmental science, attachment theory, and practical relational experience, this seminar will explore how educators, counsellors, youth workers, and helping professionals can make meaningful headway with hard-to-reach children and youth. Participants will learn how to reduce alarm, work with — rather than against — defenses, build trust and connection over time, and create the conditions where growth, learning, and emotional healing can unfold.
This highly practical workshop will integrate real-life examples, guided reflection, and case-based application to help participants translate developmental-relational understanding into meaningful action within their own settings and with the children and youth in their care.
Day Three
🕑: 08:30 AM - 04:00 PM
Supporting Defended and Disconnected Children and Youth
Host: Deborah MacNamara, Ph.D.
Info: Some children and youth can be difficult to reach. They may resist help, reject relationships, avoid vulnerability, push adults away, or appear emotionally shut down. Traditional behavioural approaches often fall short because the underlying issues may involve alarm, adaptation, attachment, and emotional defenses.
This workshop explores the developmental and relational roots of disconnection and why some children resist closeness, struggle to trust, or defend against care. Grounded in developmental science and attachment theory, participants will examine how alarm and attachment dynamics influence behaviour, learning, and emotional well-being.
Participants will learn practical strategies to reduce alarm, work with rather than against defenses, build trust and connection, and create conditions that support growth, learning, and emotional healing. Real-life examples, reflection, and case applications will help participants translate theory into meaningful practice.
Learning Objectives
Info: • Traumatized or marginalized youth.
• Oppositional or resistant behaviour.
• Emotional shutdown or detachment.
• Anxiety and alarm-based behaviours.
• Peer-oriented youth.
• High-risk or highly defended children.
• School refusal, disengagement, or chronic relational struggles.
Event venue & nearby stays
2852 Douglas St, 2852 Douglas Street, Victoria, Canada
Concerts, fests, parties, meetups — all the happenings, one place.