Videos & Resources
We have provided some videos, visual aids and other resources that may be of interest and assistance to our website visitors.
VIDEOS
Gabor Maté's Film, "The Wisdom of Trauma"
Dr. Maté gives us a new vision: a trauma-informed society in which parents, teachers, physicians, policy-makers and legal personnel are not concerned with fixing behaviors, making diagnoses, suppressing symptoms and judging, but seek instead to understand the sources from which troubling behaviors and diseases spring in the wounded human soul. Below is a trailer for this film. The full-length film is available on his website TheWisdomOfTrauma.com.
Family Mediation Canada - Interview with Sharon J. Crooks K.C.
The subject of this video is “Trauma Informed Practice”.
Brain Story Certification
This is an excellent, free online course on how brains develop and react in the real world – The Brain Story Certification Course.
Brain Builders
This is an excellent 4 minute video on how brains are built and how trauma affects a child’s developing brain.
Click on the video titled “Brain Builders“.
Toxic Stress
This is another 4 minute video that explains how positive or normal stress, tolerable stress, and toxic stress affects a child’s neurobiological development and can create serious health problems later in life.
Click on the video titled “Toxic Stress“.
Recommended Trauma-Informed Practitioners
Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT) Meridian Tapping
We encourage our clients to seek out appropriate counselling or therapies to assist them in dealing with their past or ongoing traumas. There are many practitioners out there that take a trauma-informed approach. Some people benefit from talk therapy. Others respond more favourably to a gentle physical approach that works directly to calm the fight, flight and freeze responses being triggered by high stress or trauma.
Tapping (EFT) is a gentle, self-applied acupressure technique that you can learn, to help you navigate through stressful situations.
If you’re looking for this type of service our company highly recommends:
Janice Smylie CCHT, NLP, TFT, EFT
Clinical Hypnotherapist,
EFT Practitioner Trainer, Coach & Practitioner
www.JaniceSmylie-EFT.com
Co-Parenting College
Psychologist Glenda Lux who specializes in helping families navigate separation, divorce and co-parenting has developed a co-parenting course to assist parents. Dealing with a difficult co-parent can be very stressful. Here is a link to her Co-Parenting College website.
Trauma Informed Practice (TIP) Visual Aids
Rainbow of Emotions
This diagram is a visual representation of a normal zone of tolerance and shows what happens when we move out of that zone in either direction.
Traumatic Experiences Diagram
This diagram describes potential responses to traumatic triggers.
Children's Rights
LRCY - Legal Representation for Children and Youth
Here is the link to the Alberta Government agency that provides a lawyer for children whose families are in conflict with a child protection agency.LRCY – Legal Representation for Children and Youth.
On the LRCY website under Publications is a Resources page that has numerous resources for adults and children. Here is a link to their Children’s Rights: Frequently Asked Questions.
UNICEF - The Convention On the Rights Of The Child
UNICEF poster setting out the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) in language a child can understand.
These child-friendly visual aids for articles 12, 13, 19, 24 & 31 of the UNCRC were created by the Aussie Child Care Network
Article 12 - A Child's Right to Speak
Article 13 - A Child's Right to Discover
Article 19 - A Child's Right to be Safe
Article 24 - A Child's Right to Be Healthy
Article 31 - A Child's Right to Play
UNCRC – United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (1990)
England’s Children’s Commissioner Report (Nov 2018) Who knows what about me?
Report dealing with the sharing of children’s information on social media.
Agreements & Forms
Mediation: A Mediation Agreement is a contract between the parties and a Mediator which sets out the issues to be resolved in the mediation, and the process of the mediation. A mediated agreement is not binding on the parties in and of itself. Accordingly, while independent legal advice is recommended it is not required.
Arbitration: An arbitration agreement is a contract between the parties and an arbitrator as to the issues to be resolved in an arbitration, the process of an arbitration and indicating that the arbitration is “final and binding”. It is through this contract that an arbitration can be engaged, and it sets out the arbitrator’s jurisdiction, such as what matters are being agreed to be put before the arbitrator for a decision.
Med-Arb: Much of the Med-Arb agreement is similar to the Arbitration agreement. The primary difference is that the Med-Arb agreement sets out that first the parties will enter into mediation and then will go to arbitration.
Parenting Coordination: Content to be added soon
A party needs Independent Legal Advice or a waiver of Independent Legal Advice to enter into any Med-Arb or Arbitration Agreement.
INTAKE FORM
Content to be added soon
AGREEMENT TO MEDIATE
Content to be added soon
AGREEMENT TO MED/ARB
Content to be added soon
AGREEMENT TO ARBITRATE
Content to be added soon
PARENTING COORDINATION AGREEMENT
Content to be added soon
CHILD-CENTERED AGREEMENT
Content to be added soon
Community Resources
The Central Alberta Child Advocacy Centre
The Central Alberta Child Advocacy Centre is a not for profit organization rooted in the protection and recovery of today’s most innocent and vulnerable – our children. Visit their website here.
Aspire Special Needs Resource Centre
Aspire is a charitable organization run by a team of caring and optimistic professionals who believe in working with families, and the local community, in order that children with special needs can reach their full potential. Visit their website here.
Safety Planning Resources
If you are in a relationship where there is intimate partner violence (IPV), domestic violence (DV) and/or domestic disharmony (DDH) there are some step that you can take to ensure your and/or your children’s safety. Please see the attached Safety Planning Resources document.
Centres for Public Legal Education Alberta (CPLEA)
CPLEA has a number of informative resources booklets available for the public in the areas of family and relationships, children, finances & support, and abuse and family violence. They also have booklets explaining how to resolve disputes by going to court or utilizing out-of-court options. They address the procedures for both family and civil matters. These booklets can be accessed on their website here.
Parenting After Separation (PAS) course
The PAS course is required for parents or guardians who are separating or getting a divorce, prior to them filing a divorce or family law application in the Court of King’s Bench. Parties can also take this free course voluntarily. The PAS course topics include: building relationships, how separation affects parents, how separation affects children, communication skills, legal issues, alternative dispute resolution, and parenting plans. This course and supporting documentation can be accessed on the Alberta Government website here.
For those interested, here is a link to the Parenting After Separation (PAS) parent’s guide [2017]. This manual is the companion to the PAS course. It provides separated/divorce parents with information about the effect of divorce on children’s development. It introduces topics such as relationship building blocks, helping children cope with separation and divorce, the legal system and parenting plans.
Parenting After Separation for Families in High Conflict (PASHC)
This course is for parents or guardians who have completed the Parenting After Separation (PAS) course. It’s required if a judge directs you to take it. Otherwise, you can voluntarily take it. Course topics include: parental involvement and disengagement techniques, parenting plans for high conflict families, anger, abuse, power and control issues,
child development and the needs of children, and renegotiating boundaries. This course and supporting documentation can be accessed on the Alberta Government website here.
For those interested, here is a link to the Parenting After Separation for Families in High Conflict: parent’s guide. This manual is the companion to the PASHC course. This course emphasizes the need for parents to work together to raise their children after separation. For some families, the level of conflict between the parents makes communication difficult or impossible. Other parents may experience periods of high conflict alternating with times when things go smoothly. High levels of conflict between parents will always negatively affect children.
Legislation & Aids
Alberta Family Law Act Current March 2021
Alberta Family Property Act [June 2021]
Department of Justice Making Plans Guide
FCSG – Federal Child Support Guidelines
Alberta Child Support Calculator | Canada Child Support Guidelines
Department of Justice Fact Sheet on Child Support
SSAG – Spousal Support Advisory Guidelines [2008]
Divorcepath.com Canada Spousal Support Calculator
SSAG – Revised User Guide [April 2016]
Department of Justice Fact Sheet on Spousal Support
Case Law
Henderson v. Henderson 2016 ABCA 257 Court of Appeal Decision dealing with enforcement of a mediated agreement.
Catholic Children’s Aid Society of Toronto v. SSB 2013 Case on privilege A 2013 Ontario Superior Court case that held a child-client’s right to a confidential relationship with counsel must be guarded with more vigilance than that accorded to an adult client, not with less.
Children’s Lawyer for Ontario v. Information and Privacy Commissioner et. al. 2018 ONCA 559 (CanLII) (006) This 2018 Ontario CA case confirms that a child is entitled to a heightened protection of confidentiality in a solicitor and client relationship as mandated by the UNCRC.