We were honored to train over one hundred professionals this past week thanks to the generous programming investment from the Clackamas Early Learning Hub. For four days, we discussed social emotional health, early relational health, and how connections heal early childhood stress and trauma. Relationships heal relational trauma, it’s that straightforward. Connections matter and that’s what we focused on for four straight days. 

And, I want to talk about the unwritten curriculum of this training. The personal and professional healing we witnessed was profound. Early educators, healthcare providers, family advocates, childcare providers, home visitors, and other dedicated humans felt themselves shifting as they embraced the profound impact of relationships and the power of healing trauma. As we framed connections as the critical factor to heal stress, help regulate, and understand complex behavior, the paradigm shift for professionals was transformational. 

So many professionals approached me and my team with beautiful stories of healing. Over four days, it was not uncommon to hear, “This training was life-changing,” “This is the best workshop I’ve been to in over a decade,” or “This will be helpful for my work, AND it has completely changed how I think about my family, my children, and my work.” People left with hope and purpose. At the end of long days, my team and I often shed tears of joy. 

Friends, this is the most important work I have the honor of doing. Together, we can be change-makers. Together, we can have a tremendous impact upstream on the lives of children and families. I am so grateful I get to do this work every day. 

If you’re reading this, please know that every interaction you have with a child matters. It doesn’t mean that every interaction has to be perfect, but it does mean that we ALL have opportunities to effect children’s lives. 

So, get going, make connections, build connections – relationships are the most accurate predictor of long-term health. Let’s start building them!