Schooler Institute

LXCL:This book study is free thanks to generous grants.

General Admission

What happens when we stop asking, &ldquo;How do we change the behavior?&rdquo; and begin asking, &ldquo;What happened to this person, and how can we connect?&rdquo;In The Connected Therapist, Marti Smith, an occupational therapist, takes us on a journey that blends personal experience, trauma-aware research, occupational therapy, and Trust-Based Relational Intervention (TBRI). After discovering the work of Dr. Bruce Perry and the principles of TBRI, Marti began to see both her own family and the families she served through a new lens&mdash;one that prioritized connection, felt safety, regulation, and healing rather than simply changing behavior.This three-part book challenges us to rethink the way we understand trauma and its impact on the developing brain, the body, relationships, and sensory processing. Marti explores how adverse experiences can shape the way individuals experience and respond to the world around them, including their sensory preferences and processing abilities. Through an occupational therapy lens, she helps us consider not only what a person is doing, but why their nervous system may be responding that way.The final section moves from understanding to action, offering practical resources and strategies for selecting sensory-based interventions that support regulation, connection, and healing through meaningful activity.As we journey through this book study together, our goal is not simply to learn new strategies. It is to begin seeing people differently&mdash;to move from behavior to connection, from correction to curiosity, and from asking &ldquo;What&rsquo;s wrong?&rdquo; to asking &ldquo;What happened, what does this person need, and how can I help create safety?&rdquo;The Connected Therapist invites us to consider how our understanding of trauma can transform not only the children we work with, but the way we connect with and care for the all ages.

Hi <span contenteditable="false" data-custom-variable="{{firstname}}" fr-original-class="fr-deletable styled-tag-chip" fr-original-style="" style="color: rgb(42, 42, 196); overflow-wrap: anywhere; user-select: none; background-color: rgb(248, 248, 255); border: 1px solid rgb(191, 191, 255); border-radius: 4px; margin: 0px; padding: 1px 8px; font-size: 11px; display: inline-block; box-sizing: inherit;">First name, Thank you for registering for the book study.&nbsp; Grab The Connected Therapist by Marti Smith and start reading the first few chapters. &nbsp;We will just right into the book on October 7th from 9:30 am to 11:00 am. Each week we will read a few chapters and discuss the book. &nbsp;Here is the link to order it on Amazon:<a fr-original-style="" href="https://a.co/d/0aJkevfC" id="isPasted" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="text-decoration-color: currentcolor; user-select: auto; box-sizing: inherit;" target="_blank">https://a.co/d/0aJkevfC</a> Please use this zoom link each week:<a fr-original-style="" href="https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81466324511?pwd=olMBD9MLGfO7r0A2JzvFYUl5qFYJsa.1" id="isPasted" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="text-decoration-color: currentcolor; user-select: auto; box-sizing: inherit;" target="_blank">https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81466324511?pwd=olMBD9MLGfO7r0A2JzvFYUl5qFYJsa.1</a> Reach out if you have any questions. Kristen Kingkristenk@schoolerinstitute.org

What happens when we stop asking, “How do we change the behavior?” and begin asking, “What happened to this person, and how can we connect?”In The Connected Therapist, Marti Smith, an occupational therapist, takes us on a journey that blends personal experience, trauma-aware research, occupational therapy, and Trust-Based Relational Intervention (TBRI). After discovering the work of Dr. Bruce Perry and the principles of TBRI, Marti began to see both her own family and the families she served through a new lens—one that prioritized connection, felt safety, regulation, and healing rather than simply changing behavior.This three-part book challenges us to rethink the way we understand trauma and its impact on the developing brain, the body, relationships, and sensory processing. Marti explores how adverse experiences can shape the way individuals experience and respond to the world around them, including their sensory preferences and processing abilities. Through an occupational therapy lens, she helps us consider not only what a person is doing, but why their nervous system may be responding that way.The final section moves from understanding to action, offering practical resources and strategies for selecting sensory-based interventions that support regulation, connection, and healing through meaningful activity.As we journey through this book study together, our goal is not simply to learn new strategies. It is to begin seeing people differently—to move from behavior to connection, from correction to curiosity, and from asking “What’s wrong?” to asking “What happened, what does this person need, and how can I help create safety?”The Connected Therapist invites us to consider how our understanding of trauma can transform not only the children we work with, but the way we connect with and care for the all ages.

Schooler Institute

The Connected Therapist Virtual Book Study

Virtual Learning on Zoom

General Admission

Free

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