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Today, Lara sits down with Tamara Neufeld Strijack—therapist, consultant, educator, author, keynote speaker, and passionate advocate for children’s emotional health and well-being. Tamara is the Academic Dean of the Neufeld Institute, where she develops and delivers courses that help parents, teachers, and professionals make sense of children through developmental science. She’s also the co-author of Reclaiming Our Students: Why Children Are More Anxious, Aggressive, and Shut Down Than Ever—And What We Can Do About It. Neufeld Institute Neufeld Institute
In today’s episode, we unpack the emotional challenges so many students are facing—anxiety, frustration, shut-down, and acting-out—and what’s underneath the behavior. Tamara explains what “connection before correction” looks like in real classrooms and busy homes, how adults can step back into calm, confident leadership, and why relationship, play, and curiosity are powerful antidotes to stress for kids of all ages. We also explore practical ways to re-engage learners who seem checked out, and how teachers and parents can work together without blame or burnout. Neufeld Institute+1
If you’ve been wondering why school seems harder for so many kids—and how to help your child reconnect, regulate, and rediscover the joy of learning—this conversation offers clear lenses and doable next steps you can use right away.
Today, we cover:
Beyond behavior: how to read the feelings driving anxiety, aggression, and shut-down—and respond with relationship first.
Connection before correction: scripts and micro-moves that lower defenses and invite cooperation.
Adult leadership: what calm, consistent boundaries look like (without power struggles).
The role of play & curiosity: why play isn’t a reward—it’s the fuel for learning and resilience.
Re-engaging learners: strategies to help “checked-out” students feel safe, seen, and ready to learn.
Home–school partnership: language for productive conversations with teachers and support teams.
Meet our guest:
Tamara Neufeld Strijack is the Academic Dean of the Neufeld Institute and a Registered Clinical Counsellor who has worked with children and adolescents for more than 25 years. She offers parent consulting, workshops, and university teaching for educators and counsellors in training. Connection, relationship, and play are central themes in her work—and in her home life as a mother of two young women living on Canada’s West Coast. Neufeld Institute+1
She is co-author (with Hannah Beach) of Reclaiming Our Students, a trauma-sensitive, relationship-based guide for restoring the student–teacher connection and creating conditions for change. reclaimingourstudents.com
Parent & teacher takeaways you can use tonight:
Start with state, not story: “Your face looks tight—let’s take a breath together” before problem-solving.
Bridge first, then guide: 30–60 seconds of warmth and eye contact can lower defenses more than 10 minutes of logic.
Build predictable rituals (arrival/transition/exit) that cue safety and reduce escalation.
Invite playful re-entry: movement, music, art, or imagination to reset a stuck learner.
When in doubt, ask: “What would help your body feel safer right now?”
Resources & links:
Neufeld Institute — courses, editorials, free resources: https://www.neufeldinstitute.org/ Neufeld Institute
• Course catalogue: https://www.neufeldinstitute.org/our-courses/course-catalogue Neufeld Institute
• Free lectures & webinars: https://www.neufeldinstitute.org/resources/free Neufeld InstituteTamara’s website: https://www.tamarastrijack.ca/ Tamara Strijack
Reclaiming Our Students book site: https://reclaimingourstudents.com/ reclaimingourstudents.com
• Buy on Amazon (CA): https://www.amazon.ca/dp/198960322X amazon.ca
• Apple Books: https://books.apple.com/ca/book/reclaiming-our-students/id1504498645 Apple
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