The Victoria Child & Adolescent Conference

3-Day Conference | April 29 – May 1, 2026

Join leading experts Dr. Deborah MacNamara, Dr. Carissa Muth, and Dr. Steven Feifer for three powerful days exploring anxiety, resistance, trauma, regulation, and resilience in children and adolescents.

Day One (April 29) focuses on understanding childhood anxiety and opposition through a developmental, attachment-based lens—offering compassionate, relationship-centered approaches to alarm, safety, and counterwill.

Day Two (April 30) examines childhood and developmental trauma, including ACEs and complex PTSD, followed by practical, developmentally appropriate CBT and play-based strategies to effectively treat anxiety in children and teens.

Day Three (May 1) delivers brain-based, trauma-informed strategies to support student behaviour, emotional regulation, resilience, and EQ in today’s challenging educational environments.

This practical, research-grounded conference equips educators, clinicians, and mental health professionals with actionable tools to better understand behaviour, reduce anxiety, strengthen relationships, and support long-term emotional well-being.

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Day One – April 29, 2026

Making Sense of Anxiety in Children and Teens: A Developmental Approach to Alarm, Safety, and Emotional Well-Being
Presented by Deborah MacNamara, Ph.D.

8:30am - 11:45am April 29, 2026

COURSE DESCRIPTION

Anxiety is now the most common mental health challenge of childhood and adolescence. As many as one in five children and teens meet criteria for an anxiety disorder, with many more struggling below the diagnostic threshold. Anxiety rarely looks the same from one child or teen to the next. It can appear as worry, avoidance, obsessions and compulsions, phobias, panic, perfectionism, shutdown, irritability, or a range of perplexing behaviours that leave adults unsure how to help.

We cannot treat what we do not understand.

This three-hour presentation offers a fresh, hopeful, and developmentally grounded way of making sense of anxiety—one that moves beyond symptom management and behavioural control, and instead looks at what anxiety is doing, why it shows up, and what children and teens need to feel safe enough to grow.

Drawing on attachment science, neuroscience, developmental psychology, and Dr. Deborah MacNamara’s clinical experience, this presentation reframes anxiety as a state of heightened alarm in the nervous system, not a character flaw, weakness, or problem of coping skills. Participants will learn how anxiety interferes with emotional processing, learning, attention, and adaptation—and why many well-intended strategies can unintentionally intensify anxiety rather than relieve it.

Rather than asking how to make children “calm down” or “push through,” this presentation asks a more essential question: What is making it so hard for them to feel safe?

This is a deeply compassionate, insight-based approach that restores confidence to adults and offers a promising path forward for children and teens struggling with anxiety.

Making Sense of Resistance and Opposition in Children and Adolescents: Understanding and Defusing Counterwill Power Struggles
Presented by Deborah MacNamara, Ph.D.

12:45pm - 4:00pm April 29, 2026

COURSE DESCRIPTION

Resistance and opposition are among the most challenging and misunderstood behaviours in childhood and adolescence. From toddlers who refuse to cooperate to teens who push back against every request, resistance can feel personal, provocative, and deeply unsettling for the adults who care for them.

Yet resistance is not always a problem to eliminate.

In this presentation, Dr. Deborah MacNamara offers a developmental and relational understanding of resistance and opposition, introducing the concept of counterwill—the instinctive, defensive reaction that arises when children feel pressured, coerced, or controlled.

Counterwill can take many forms, including opposition, negativism, noncompliance, avoidance, lack of motivation, disrespect, belligerence, and resistance to learning. While the expressions may vary depending on age and personality, the underlying dynamic is deceptively simple: a child or teen resisting felt coercion.

This presentation explores why counterwill is a normal and necessary part of human development, why it is especially pronounced in toddlers and adolescents, and how it is meant to serve both attachment and the development of a child’s will. Participants will gain insight into why power struggles intensify resistance, why what is most demanded often becomes least likely to happen, and how well-intended efforts to manage behaviour can unintentionally escalate opposition.

Most importantly, this presentation offers a way forward. Rather than increasing control or backing away from adult responsibility, participants will learn how to respond to resistance in ways that preserve relationship, dignity, and leadership, while respecting the developmental purpose of counterwill.

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Day Two – April 30, 2026

Addressing Childhood and Developmental Trauma
Presented by Carissa Muth, Psy.D., CCC, R.Psych

8:30am - 11:45am April 30, 2026

COURSE DESCRIPTION

In the late 1990’s, the CDC in combination with Kaiser Permanente studied the link between childhood abuse and adult rates of death. This study firmly established a link between childhood experiences and long term mental and physical health outcomes. As 67% of individuals experiences at least one ACE, continued studies have investigated which factors or how many factors are the most influential. Dr. Carissa Muth will present updated data regarding childhood and developmental trauma with a focus on utilizing the research to effectively conceptualize and treat client symptoms. This will include a diagnostic explanation of complex posttraumatic stress disorder and staged treatment methods and interventions. As often the most complex clients have high ACE scores, knowing how to identify and treat these clients can provide hope for those that may feel disregarded.

Why Attend?

Increased awareness- Childhood trauma can manifest in adulthood in a myriad of ways and sometimes covertly. As such, knowing the signs and impact of ACEs can aid in treating seemingly treatment resistant clients.

Improved resources- Some would argue that personality disorders almost exclusively manifest from childhood abuse. These clients can be disregarded by professionals as noncompliant or too difficult to manage. Understanding roots to behaviours rather than just considering the manifestations of underlying issues can provide additional tools and hope for these typically complex individuals.

Practical Solutions to Address Anxiety in Children and Adolescents
Presented by Carissa Muth, Psy.D., CCC, R.Psych

12:45pm - 4:00pm April 30, 2026

COURSE DESCRIPTION

As high as 20% of children in Canada will experience an anxiety disorder before reaching adulthood. For many of these children, symptoms of anxiety will impede their life and development to a degree that will create impairments into adulthood. Developmental vulnerabilities place children and adolescents at unique risk and also in need of specialized knowledge regarding the assessment and treatment of their anxiety symptoms. In this workshop, Dr. Muth will ground the assessment and treatment of anxiety for children and adolescent in a neurological understanding of human development. Presenting developmentally appropriate CBT and play therapy interventions, Dr. Muth will provide practical tools for working with children and adolescents with anxiety. Participants will walk away with the ability to identify anxiety symptoms and apply immediate interventions to address psychological symptoms and reduce the likelihood of continuation of issues into adulthood.

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Day Three – May 1, 2026

Strategies for Student Behaviour, Resilience, Regulation, Trauma, and EQ in Challenging Times
Presented by Steven G. Feifer, D.Ed., ABSNP

8:30am - 4:00pm May 1, 2026

COURSE DESCRIPTION

In today’s increasingly complex educational environments, students are presenting with heightened emotional reactivity, behavioural challenges, anxiety, and difficulties with self-regulation. Educators and mental health professionals are being asked to respond not only to academic needs, but also to the neurological, emotional, and relational factors that influence behaviour and learning.

In this engaging and practical full-day workshop, Steven Feifer draws on decades of experience in school neuropsychology to help participants better understand the why behind challenging student behaviours and the how of effective intervention. Grounded in brain-based research, trauma-informed practice, and social-emotional learning, this workshop offers concrete strategies to support regulation, resilience, emotional intelligence (EQ), and positive behaviour across school settings.

Participants will explore how stress, trauma, and adversity impact brain development, executive functioning, emotional control, and learning readiness. Steven will translate complex neuroscience into accessible, classroom-ready tools that help educators and clinicians move beyond behaviour management toward meaningful regulation and relationship-based support.

Through case examples, interactive discussion, and evidence-informed strategies, participants will learn how to:

Understand the neuropsychological roots of challenging behaviour

Support emotional regulation and impulse control in dysregulated students

Build resilience and coping skills in the face of stress and uncertainty

Address the impact of trauma on learning, behaviour, and relationships

Strengthen emotional intelligence (EQ) and social problem-solving skills

Create supportive environments that foster safety, connection, and engagement

This workshop emphasizes practical strategies that can be immediately applied in classrooms, counselling settings, and school systems, helping professionals respond to challenging behaviours with greater confidence, compassion, and effectiveness.

Info: Anxiety is now the most common mental health challenge of childhood and adolescence. As many as one in five children and teens meet criteria for an anxiety disorder, with many more struggling below the diagnostic threshold. Anxiety rarely looks the same from one child or teen to the next. It can appear as worry, avoidance, obsessions and compulsions, phobias, panic, perfectionism, shutdown, irritability, or a range of perplexing behaviours that leave adults unsure how to help.

We cannot treat what we do not understand.

This three-hour presentation offers a fresh, hopeful, and developmentally grounded way of making sense of anxiety—one that moves beyond symptom management and behavioural control, and instead looks at what anxiety is doing, why it shows up, and what children and teens need to feel safe enough to grow.

Info: Resistance and opposition can be some of the most challenging behaviours in children and teens, often feeling personal and provocative to adults. In this presentation, Dr. Deborah MacNamara reframes resistance through a developmental and relational lens, introducing the concept of counterwill—the instinctive reaction that arises when young people feel pressured or controlled. Participants will explore why counterwill is a normal and necessary part of development, why power struggles intensify opposition, and how well-intended strategies can escalate behaviour. This session offers practical, relationship-preserving approaches that maintain adult leadership while supporting attachment, dignity, and healthy will development.

Info: This presentation explores the lasting impact of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) on mental and physical health, drawing on landmark research linking childhood trauma to long-term outcomes. Dr. Carissa Muth shares updated data on developmental trauma and provides practical guidance for assessing and treating complex PTSD using staged, evidence-based interventions. Participants will learn to recognize how high ACE scores shape behaviour and symptom presentation, particularly in clients who appear treatment-resistant or difficult to engage. By understanding the roots of trauma rather than just its manifestations, professionals will gain deeper insight, expanded clinical tools, and renewed hope for supporting complex clients.

Info: Up to 20% of children in Canada will experience an anxiety disorder before adulthood, with symptoms that can significantly impact development and long-term well-being. In this workshop, Dr. Carissa Muth grounds assessment and treatment in a neurological understanding of child and adolescent development. Participants will learn how to identify anxiety symptoms and apply developmentally appropriate CBT and play therapy interventions to address cognitive, behavioural, and physiological components of anxiety. This practical session equips professionals with clear, immediately usable strategies to reduce symptoms, strengthen coping skills, and prevent long-term impairment while expanding their therapeutic toolbox.

Info: In today’s complex school environments, students are presenting with increased anxiety, emotional reactivity, behavioural challenges, and self-regulation difficulties. In this practical full-day workshop, Steven Feifer draws on decades of neuropsychology experience to help educators and clinicians understand the brain-based roots of challenging behaviour and apply effective, trauma-informed interventions.

Grounded in neuroscience and social-emotional learning, participants will explore how stress and adversity impact executive functioning, emotional control, and learning readiness. Through case examples and evidence-informed strategies, attendees will gain classroom-ready tools to support regulation, resilience, emotional intelligence, and positive behaviour—moving beyond behaviour management toward meaningful, relationship-based support.

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Host or Publisher Jack Hirose & Associates