Translating Toxic Stress into Everyday Practice

Whether one’s training is slanted towards the Adverse Childhood Experiences and traumatic injury context or the neurodiversity and complex diagnoses context, the concept of “toxic stress” is increasingly referred to as common knowledge.
Explore this essential topic with Connie Lillas, RN, MFT, PhD, Founder and Director of the NeuroRelational Framework (NRF) Institute - Research to Resilience.
This workshop agrees that the concept of toxic stress is necessary as a transdisciplinary and transdiagnostic concept and yet, requires further translation into meaningful clinical terminology that a wide range of practitioners can identify and share with parents.
The basics of the Autonomic or “Automatic” Nervous System will be described and biomarkers for 4 clustered stress responses will be shown. Participants will both be shown these biomarkers and expected to practice identifying them as well. How 4 stress responses can turn into 4 toxic stress responses will be taught so that practitioners can document these patterns, supporting the child and parents’ need for intervention.
Learning Objectives
1. Identify two primary sides of the Automatic Nervous System
2. Recognize two biomarkers per each of the 4 stress responses
3. State 3 dimensions underlying toxic stress patterns that can be used in documenting medical necessity for treatment.