Course overview
This five-hour, online course will help you to understand children’s emotional and psychological states in the context of exciting new research into the brain, body and nervous system – providing insights into the effects of early experiences which can directly inform your work with children and young people.
Wondering what the course will be like? Download a summary of student & reviewer feedback (PDF).
Course aims
This clear and accessible course explores how early experiences shape the structure and functioning of our brains and nervous systems, and how this can be seen in children’s behaviours, minds and emotions. By the end of the course, you will have a better understanding of the effects of trauma, neglect and abuse, how resilience can develop, and how this information can be used to positive effect in your practice when working with children and young people.
How will you learn?
- Explore key concepts through interactive lecture content and videos
- Deepen your understanding via regular opportunities for reflection
- Consider a Case Study to help apply the theory to your work
- Access a range of relevant resources for free via an online reading list
- Test your knowledge with a quiz, and unlock a certificate
Course topics
This course will allow you to:
- Make sense of children’s behaviours and mental states by linking these to family background, biological inheritance and emotional contexts
- Gain an awareness of how the brain and nervous system develop, and the impact of early experiences on how children behave, think and feel
- Understand the impact of adverse experiences, and how emotional growth and resilience can develop as a result of positive new experiences
- Apply this knowledge to your own interactions with children and young people – understanding that change is always possible, even in our brains.
Who is this course for?
We welcome anyone to this course who has a keen interest in the subject area.
In particular, this course is for you if you are working with children, young people and families, and wish to learn more about cutting-edge research in this area, and how it can be applied to your work.
You may be working in:
- A school
- Social services
- Healthcare
- The voluntary sector
- Or you may be considering work with children in the future.
Know someone who’d enjoy this course? Download a course flyer (PDF) to share with friends and colleagues.
Course requirements/assessment
There are no specific requirements for the course, although we suggest you are working with, or have an interest in working with children, or want to learn more about the effects of difficult early experiences on children’s minds and behaviours.
There’s a multiple choice question assessment at the end of the course, which unlocks a Digital Academy certificate upon completion.
Course Timings
This course runs continuously, so you can sign up at any time. It offers five hours of self-directed learning which you can undertake at a time and pace that suits you.
You will have access to the course and its materials for a total of four weeks. Access begins the day after you’ve registered and paid, when you will receive login details by email.
Course facilitators
Dr Graham Music
Dr Graham Music (PHD) is Consultant Child and Adolescent Psychotherapist at the Tavistock and Portman NHS Foundation Trust and an Adult Psychotherapist in private practice. He has a particular interest in exploring the interface between developmental findings and clinical work. Formerly Associate Clinical Director of the Tavistock and Portman’s Child and Family Department, he has managed…
Book your place today
Our Mini Courses run continuously. You can book a place at any time using our secure 'MyTAP' booking system, and access begins the day after you’ve registered and paid, when you will receive login details by email.
