Playful | Present | Passionate
Dafna is an international trainer and supervisor for practitioners who work with children and families. She is a certified trainer and supervisor/consultant in both Theraplay and Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy (DDP). Dafna’s expertise is drawn from 25 years of working with families with attachment in many settings: at-risk after school programs, therapeutic foster care, in-home crisis stabilization, residential care and private practice. Dafna’s style, whether as a therapist or teacher, is combining the light-hearted with the profound by bringing a playful, intense and passionate presence to every encounter. She is as likely to break out into song as engage in serious intellectual discourse.
The IAFT Training Course is a twelve-hour training course led by Dafna Lender, using principles from two attachment-based modalities - Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy and Theraplay. It teaches how to enhance regulation, connection, and joy between parents and children and guides parents to do reparative work around family trauma.
This workshop training offers a different lens that focuses on the physiologic, nonverbal connection between parent and child to improve the relationship. Using principles from two attachment-based modalities—Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy and Theraplay—learn how to enhance regulation, connection, and joy between parents and children as well as guide parents to do reparative work around family trauma.
Join Dafna Lender for a 5-day course on Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy, an approach which assists therapists and other professionals to understand and effectively support children, young people and their families.
LEVEL 1
- Jan 31, February 1, 2, 6, 7 at 8:30 AM - 1:30 PM (Central Time, USA & Canada) (Full)
- April 17-19, 24, 25 at 7:30 AM to 12:30 PM (Central Time, USA & Canada)
- June 5-7, 12, 13 at 8:30 AM - 1:30 PM (Central Time, USA & Canada)
LEVEL 2*
- January 11-13, 16 & 17 at 8:30 AM - 1:30 PM (Central Time, USA & Canada) (Full)
- May 15, 16, 17, 22, 23 at 8:30 AM - 1:30 PM (Central Time, USA & Canada)
JOIN DAFNA LENDER FOR A FREE MONTHLY SERIES
Sessions start at 12 noon ET for one hour, with a bonus on March 17 for a two-hour special on bullying.
CE is available for live sessions only – $50 per session.
Parenthood often brings otherwise competent people to their knees as they try to deal with the frustrating behaviors or strained relationship with their child. There is nothing more painful than feeling resentful, hopeless, helpless or depressed when it comes to your parent identity. Perhaps you have already read many parenting books and vowed that you would not react negatively towards your child. Or maybe your teenager is painfully rejecting you and you vacillate between trying your hardest to be kind and crying or screaming, making things even worse. Or perhaps you feel like your child is ruining your life as he behaves in a destructive or dangerous manner and you feel frightened or out of control.
Session 1 – Friday, January 6 – How To Incorporate More Playfulness into Day-to-Day Parenting
Session 2 – Friday, February 17 – How To Regulate a Child Who Is Acting Silly/Chaotic
Session 3 – Friday, March 17 – 2-HOUR SPECIAL – Bullying: Empowerment for the Victim and Healing for the Bully
Session 4 – Friday, April 14 – How To Handle Problem Behaviors Like a Sore Loser or a Child Who Lies or Steals
Session 5 – Friday, May 12 – How To Regulate Your Reaction To Your Child
Session 6 – Friday, June 16 – How To Respond To A Child’s Nonverbal Signals
Session 7 – Wednesday, July 19 – How To Deal with Aggression and Out-of-Control Behaviors
Session 8 – Wednesday, August 16 – How To Validate A Child’s Feelings
RESOURCES
Check out the latest interview with Guy Macpherson on his podcast The Trauma Therapist Project. They talked about Dafna's work with kids and families, her approach, experience and much more.
Listen Now →
Sit down with Dafna Lender as she shares with you conversations with 3 different experts: Peter Levine, Stephen Porges, and Bessel van der Kolk.
Theraplay is an intervention that focuses on enhancing the connection, trust and joy between a child and a parent. It involves interactive, playful activities using simple face-to-face reciprocal interactions, and involves using all of the senses, including rhythm, movement and touch.
Learn More →
The way you position your body when interacting with your child can have more of an impact than you might think.
Following the tragic Highland Park Parade shooting, Dafna visited a Highland Park school to provide emotional support.
To parents of children who witnessed the shooting in the Highland Park Parade, or to those who have friends and family who were victims or witnessed the shooting.
Sign up with your email to receive news and updates.