Dr Karen Treisman's 5 Amazing Quotes To Help See The Child Behind The Behaviour

Following our inspiring ‘Behaviour is Communication’ training course live via Zoom on Wednesday, we helped share a plethora of amazing ideas, practical strategies and tips, all related to this key message:

“Seeing the child behind the behaviour and understanding how we address this behaviour.”

These were brought forward by the wonderful Dr Karen Treisman, the training course tutor, and are all aimed at helping teachers, healthcare professionals and social workers working with children see through the child’s and thus, improving their mental health and wellbeing.

We’d like to share five powerful quotes/strategies Karen enlightened our course delegates with in regards to behavioural communication in children and ways to support their mental health and wellbeing positively:

1. “Curious instead of furious”

Don’t let a child’s behaviour provoke anger within you.

Take the time to pause, breathe in and out slowly and express empathy and understanding.

Discover the cause behind the behaviour by asking questions such as ‘what happened to you?’ and not ‘what’s wrong with you?’

2. “Connection before correction”

See the child’s positive traits and personality behind the negative behaviour.

Connection before correction allows professionals to accept the child’s behaviour, but at the same time, creating boundaries to that behaviour.

This can be achieved by connecting first and then ensuring there is relational repair after correcting the child. Being repetitive with this technique instils trust and a sense of routine and expectancy.

3. “Name it to tame it”

This strategy helps children understand their negative feelings better. Personifying feelings can help them realise their potential to overcome them too.

For example, a child may worry a lot. Recognise this and call the worry a ‘worry cloud’ or a ‘worry worm’. If a child is disruptive due to his or her anger, help them by naming it a volcano, tornado or an avalanche, for example.

This can help the child mentally overcome these volcanoes and avalanches in a more child-friendly manner.

4. “Every interaction is an intervention”

This quote can help reassure teachers and social workers working with children who feel they never have enough time to dedicate to those that need it most not to underestimate the power of those small ‘quality’ moments.

Try and be positive in every circumstance with a child, verbally or behaviourally! The more this can be achieved, the less time a child’s negative behaviour comes to the fore.

5. “Shrink yourself to be like a child”

Treat the child as if you are in his or her shoes. If your tactic is to shout at a child to resolve a behavioural problem, think, ‘would I like to be shouted at?’

Be the child and channel what you think they are feeling. How would you go about understanding this negative behaviour so that you can combat it?

You may be interested in this…

This blog was based around Dr Karen Treisman’s amazing online workshop with us, surrounding the key message, ‘behaviour is communication’ in children.

If you are interested in supporting children’s problematic behaviour for the better through real practical strategies, then look no further than our upcoming CPD courses led by children’s mental health expert Tony France, focusing on child-to-parent violence and understanding and supporting children with violent or self-destructive behaviour.

See below to read more or to book now!

Forthcoming Medica CPD courses:

Autism at School: How Teachers Can Help, With Dr Brenda Smith Myles
Date: 1 & 14 June 2021 (split across two afternoons)
Time: 2PM - 3.30PM
Read more: https://bit.ly/3eYWId3

Child To Parent Violence, With Tony France (Morning)
Date: 15 June 2021
Time: 9.30AM - 12.30PM
Read more: https://bit.ly/3woEXeg

Explosive Kids - Understanding & Supporting Children with Violent or Self-Destructive Behaviour, With Tony France (Afternoon)
Date: 15 June 2021
Time: 1PM - 4PM
Read more: https://bit.ly/3uIHUpw

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Interesting resources:

1. https://www.facebook.com/nurtureinscottishschools/posts/dr-karen-treisman-explaining-her-quote-every-interaction-can-be-an-intervention-/154539649375962/
2. https://westhavenschool.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/Intervention.pdf
3. https://www.wcmt.org.uk/sites/default/files/report-documents/Treisman%20K%202018%20Final.pdf
4. https://mobilise.kyrateachingschool.com/assets/uploads/files/Trauma-informed-Behaviour-as-Communication-Session-3-Take-aways.pdf
5. https://offschool.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/TIP-Playlist-Summary.pdf
6. https://www.cypsp.hscni.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Dr-KT-Workshops-all-workshops-2.pdf
7. https://www.lianalowenstein.com/articlesProfTraumaTreisman.pdf