I am a Certified Gentle Sleep Coach. You can see Me, Tracy Spackman on Kim West’s list of Certified Sleep Coaches listed under Arizona (I’m right at the top if the list) http://www.sleeplady.com/services/#.UD-TSMGPVQI
The Gentle Sleep Coach Program is the first and most extensive professional sleep coaching certification program available. The program involves over 80 hours of training, an exam and participation in case supervision with Kim West, LCSW-C (a.k.a. “the Sleep Lady”) who has been helping tired parents for over 17 years. Clinical supervision and ongoing advanced training are required to maintain certification as a Gentle Sleep Coach. Some of my training topics included:
- Basic counseling and child development
- Sleep science and behavioral modification techniques
- Secure attachment theory
- Support for the breastfeeding mother
The training also consisted of lectures from top specialists, including:
- Postpartum Depression from Dr Shoshana Bennett, author and leading specialist on Postpartum Depression
- Medical Conditions and Sleep Apnea in Children led by Dr Lewis Kass, Director of Children’s Sleep Center
- Sensory Processing Disorders and Sleep by Jodi Jennings, OTLR
Continuing Professional Development
Additional Training Received: 4-5 month olds
The GSC Program also includes an exclusive advanced training series directly centered around how to gently work with babies 4 and 5 months of age. This program which I have also completed consists of over 40 hours of instruction and mentor-ship.
Some of the curriculum training topics include:
- In depth knowledge of the delicate nature of infants under 6 months of age and how to consider all elements of their well-being.
- Current evidence based guidelines and instruction on how to evaluate the 4-6 month old child and family and determine if the child is ready for sleep coaching.
- Gentle sleep solutions and strategies that are effective and developmentally appropriate for the younger baby.
This specialty training is designed to give coaches the knowledge, education and all the tools and resources they need to successfully work with families of babies 4-6 months of age in a safe, healthy and developmentally appropriate manner.
I also work closely with Andrea Strang of Kindersleep,The Child Sleep Institute and the in-home sleep support training program for Kim West. The much sought after hands-on Baby & Child Specialist in Canada. Andrea has over 15 years experience with sleep training children for their parents and her vast knowledge and experience make her a valuable resource.
Additional Training Received:
Foundation Program Graduate of The Wonder Weeks Academy
Program Overview
Chapter 1 The Birth of The Wonder Weeks
Chapter 2 Early Neurodevelopment from Womb to Cradle
Chapter 3 The Importance of Early Relationships
Chapter 4 The Language of Babies
Chapter 5 Science Behind The Wonder Weeks
Chapter 6 The World of Changing Sensations (Leap 1)
Chapter 7 The World of Patterns (Leap 2)
Chapter 8 The World of Smooth Transitions (Leap 3)
Chapter 9 The World of Events (Leap 4)
Chapter 10 The World of Relationships (Leap 5)
Chapter 11 The World of Categories (Leap 6)
Chapter 12 The World of Sequences (Leap 7)
Chapter 13 The World of Programmes (Leap 8)
Chapter 14 The World of Principles (Leap 9)
Chapter 15 The World of Systems (Leap 10)
Completed Oct 18th, 2017
Additional Training Received: Infant Mental Health
Infant Mental Health Community Training Institute –This 15 part training program aims to raise awareness and understanding of the needs of infants and toddlers in order to promote healthy social emotional development in the early years and reduce the likelihood of poor mental and physical health outcomes in the later years. 45 hours of instruction.
This training program aims to increase knowledge about infant mental health among all staff within community-based agencies in order to affect a culture shift, to empower individuals to be agents of change in their roles and to ensure that every child served by their organization has access to the best mental health outcomes possible.The inclusion of infant mental health promotion, prevention, and treatment as a key focus of practice within community based health and/or social service organizations will lead to enhanced:
- Understanding of just how critical early mental health is for a child, a community, and society at large;
- Understanding of risk and protective factors that contribute to early mental health and development;
- Promotion of infant mental health practices within a community agency that can be shared with families and other community agencies;
- Integration of practices that focus on the prevention of infant mental health trauma;
- Embedding of screening practices to identify when a child may be experiencing poor mental health in the first three years of life; and
- Integration of interventions that can be provided to a child who is experiencing poor mental health or at risk of experiencing poor mental health within the community.
Additional Training Received:
BABIES IN MIND:WHY THE PARENT’S MIND MATTERS
We started in week 1 by examining what we have learned from natural experiments such as orphanages, in which infants have been exposed to severe neglect during the early years of their life, and the long-term impact of the absence of an early relationship on all aspects of their later functioning. We then examined why such relationships are important in terms of the experience-expectant aspects of a baby’s brain development.
In week 2 we examined what the research tells us about the specific aspects of the relationship with the caregiver that are important for the infant’s developing mind. We started by describing the way in which the core building blocks of the infant’s mind develop as a result of their attachment relationship with their primary caregivers, and in particular the development of ‘internal working models’. We then examined what the research tells us about the way in which this attachment relationship is influenced as a result of the way in which the parent’s emotional mind (i.e. anxiety and depression) and the parent’s cognitive mind (i.e. reflective functioning) shape that interaction.
In week 3 we stepped back in time to examine the way in which aspects of the parent’s emotional and cognitive mind can impact both directly and indirectly on foetal development, and what the research tells us about the long-term consequences of adversity during pregnancy. We watched the video depicting Charlie’s story.
We concluded in week 4 by examining a number of both dyadic and non-dyadic methods of working to support parents during the perinatal period. This section described a range of universal, targeted and indicated interventions that can be delivered during the ante and postnatal periods, and we examined some of the evidence describing their effectiveness in changing those aspects of parental functioning on which we focused in weeks 1 and 2 of the course.
THE UNIVERSITY OF WARWICK
This online course explored how the mind of the parent influences the developing mind of the child, from conception through infancy and into later life.
EDUCATORS-Jane Barlow, Professor of Public Health in the Early Years
The University of Warwick
Additional Training and Study with the following Specialists:
American Academy of Sleep Medicine
Bedtime Battles:
Insights from pediatric sleep research
Thomas Heffron
Director of Communications
Gordon Neufeld on Attachment Alpha Children, Making Sense of Anxiety, Relationship Matters
Based in Vancouver, Dr Neufeld is a clinical psychologist and Development has over forty years of experience with children, adolescents and adults who are responsible. Leader in the field of child development, the Dr Neufeld is an internationally recognized speaker, a successful author (Recover parenting) and the leader of the developmental paradigm. Dr Neufeld is known for his ability to shed light on highly complex situations and to open the way for change. He left the university and private practice to concentrate on training educators and other professional speakers. The Neufeld Institute is now an international charity dedicated to applied science development in the education of children.
Waking Up Dry: Practical Strategies for Managing Nocturnal Enuresis with Howard Bennett, MD (10/6/2015)
Howard Bennett, MD
Pediatrician and Children’s Author
Dr. Howard Bennett is a board-certified pediatrician with 35 years of clinical experience. He spent the first part of his professional career in academic medicine, teaching and practicing primary care pediatrics.
Dr. Bennett has been in private pediatric practice in Washington, D.C. since 1991, but has continued his academic affiliations. He is a clinical professor of pediatrics at The George Washington University School of Medicine and a member of the Community Advisory Staff at the Children’s National Medical Center.
Dr. Bennett has appeared on a variety of national television shows including NBC Nightly News, World News Tonight, and CNN. His first picture book, “Lions Aren’t Scared of Shots,” was featured in a story about pain control on the Today Show.
Dr. Bennett is the author of six health care books for children, two of which are about bedwetting:
• Waking Up Dry: A Guide to Help Children Overcome Bedwetting is for 6- to 13-year-olds. It is the first bedwetting book that incorporates a proven method for becoming dry with a child-friendly text that encourages children to take an active role in solving their problem.
• Max Archer, Kid Detective: The Case of the Wet Bed is for 4- to 6-year-olds. It provides more general information about why children wet the bed and simple techniques they can use to deal with the problem.
Adult Sleep, Pregnancy, Insomnia and More, with Dr. Rosenberg, DO, FCCP
Dr. Robert S. Rosenberg
Sleep Specialist
Robert S. Rosenberg, DO, FCCP has over 20 years of experience in the field of sleep medicine. Board certified in sleep medicine, pulmonary medicine, and internal medicine, Dr. Rosenberg serves as the Medical Director of the Sleep Disorders Center of Prescott Valley, Arizona and sleep medicine consultant for Mountain Heart Health Services in Flagstaff, Arizona. He is a contributing sleep expert blogger at ConsumerHealthDigest.com and his advice has appeared in O, The Oprah Magazine, Prevention, Women’s Health, Woman’s World, Parenting, and Ladies’ Home Journal, among others. Dr Rosenberg is the author of Sleep Soundly Every Night, Feel Fantastic Every Day (Demos Health). He appears regularly on television and radio and lectures throughout the country on Sleep Medicine. Learn more about Dr. Rosenberg by visiting www.AnswersForSleep.com
6 Essential Skills every Parent Should Teach their Anxious Child, Renee Jain
6 Essential Skills every Parent Should Teach their Anxious Child, Renee Jain (2/11/15)Renee Jain is an award-winning tech entrepreneur turned speaker and certified life coach. She specializes in cultivating skills of resilience in both adults and children. Renee’s passion is taking research-based concepts and transforming them into engaging and digestible learning modules. For children, she has created GoZen!, a one-of-a-kind anxiety relief program delivered wholly in digital animation. Renee holds a Masters of Applied Positive Psychology from the University of Pennsylvania.
Darla Miller, “Montessori Principles”
Darla Ferris Miller holds a doctorate in curriculum and instruction with specialization in early childhood education; Texas and Mississippi teaching credentials; and both the Early Childhood and Infant/Toddler Certifications from American Montessori Society. She has served as a college vice president, division chair, and professor (University of Houston, University of Mississippi, and North Harris College). Dr. Miller has also served in a wide range of roles within the field of Montessori education and child development. She has been educational guide in infant/toddler and early childhood Montessori classrooms, head of school, teacher education program faculty member, and consultant.Dr. Miller’s publications include:
- Author (2016). Positive Child Guidance, 8th Ed. N.Y.: Wadsworth, Cengage Learning.
- Chapter author (1990). Room to grow: How to create quality early childhood environments. In L. Ard & M. Pitts (Eds.), Austin: Texas Association for the Education of Young Children.
- Author (1989). First steps toward cultural difference: Socialization in infant/toddler day care. Washington, DC: Child Welfare League of America, Inc. (Continuously in print from 1989-2005 and was termed a Child Welfare League “classic” book.)
“Conscious Discipline”- Becky Bailey, Ph.D.
Dr. Bailey is the founder of Loving Guidance, Inc., a company dedicated to creating positive environments for children, families, schools and businesses. She is also the developer of the Conscious Discipline program.
Dr. Bailey has authored 14 books related to guidance and discipline. Managing Emotional Mayhem, her newest title, addresses self-regulation for educators, parents and children. Her core publication for parents, Easy to Love, Difficult to Discipline, has received national acclaim and is published in nine languages. Easy to Love, Difficult to Discipline applies the Conscious Discipline message to the family unit, offering the support and internal changes adults need to effectively parent their children.
In her passion to empower all people, especially those working with our youngest citizens, Dr. Bailey has established the first Early Childhood Education four-year university degree program in the state of Florida. She was also instrumental in establishing a teacher certification program for Native Americans in New Mexico.
“Sensory Processing Disorders and Its Effects on Children’s Sleep” – Jodi Jennings, OTR/L
Sally Neuberger, “Potty Training” 5/19/14
Sarah McAllister- Naturopathic Doctor, “When Behavior Coaching Isn’t Working” 3/18/14
“Understanding Children’s Temperament”, Helen Neville
“Child Development and Attachment” by Brandi Jordan MSW, IBCLC
“SIDS and other Sleep Related Infant Deaths: A Review of the Current Research and Recommendations” – First Candle Organization 5/25/13