This presentation provides a Catholic Christian model to support social and emotional development in children within the family. The presenter will examine how developing trusting relationships, understanding emotional regulation and how productively working through unpredicted challenges can support optimal human flourishing in childhood. The presenter will offer mental health professionals psychosocial research and theory as well as Aquinas’ conception of the acquired and infused virtues that can be used as tools to help children heal from emotional and relational difficulties. Attendees will learn how Aquinas’ conception of human nature is a foundation for understanding how it is ultimately the work of growth in charity-love offered by God’s gift of salvation that can help in everyday healing and flourishing.
Target Audience: Clinical and research/ academic members who work in the mental health field or who are psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers or family therapists
Course Content Level: Beginner
Learning Objectives:
This program does not qualify for NBCC credits
Sister Elena Marie is a Dominican Sister of St. Cecilia, Nashville Tennessee and holds a Ph.D in Psychology from the University of Adelaide, Australia. Prior to entering the Dominican Sisters in 2011, she worked on research projects specifically examining the effects of diet and sleep on cognitive, language, social, and emotional development in children and adolescents as well as the impacts on mental health. Since entering the religious community, Sister has continued her studies in Education by earning an MAT at Aquinas College in Nashville Tennessee and taught in high schools in the United States. In the years following, she taught Applied Psychology and Research Methods courses at the University of Notre Dame in Sydney Australia and has continued research in the area of child and adolescent mental health, social and emotional development and Trauma Informed Practices. Sister currently serves as an Assistant Professor of Psychology at Aquinas College, Nashville Tennessee and is the Director of the Quality Enhancement Plan, which focuses on preparing educators to foster social and emotional learning as a trauma informed practice using a Catholic Christian model.