Adverse childhood experience(s) that occurred in the context of a child/caregiver relationship often results in complex trauma. Building secure relational patterns is essential on the journey of healing from complex trauma. The integration of trauma informed care and relational health is crucial for anyone working with children and youth. The Circle of Security ® model offers insight into relational patterns between children and the adults in their lives. The Circle of Security model is relevant, and beneficial for service providers/caregivers who work with children. The application of this relational model has broadened to couples and is also currently being used in educational and Human Service settings. This training provides an opportunity for the child and family serving community to understand and support healthy relational interactions with children. Through the interactive format participants will shift their perspective on challenging behaviors of children and deepen awareness of relational cues.
Nicole Milliren, M.S. LPC is a Licensed Professional Counselor. Her focus is brain development, Trauma Informed Care, attachment disruptions for children and relational health over the lifespan.
Nicole has been trained by William F Whelan, Psy.D., and Dr. Bob Marvin, Director of the Mary D. Ainsworth Child-Parent Attachment Clinic in Charlottesville, Virginia. She is certified and reliable in the Circle of Security Intervention for attachment assessment and individual therapy. Nicole is featured in the documentary film, The Dark Matter of Love-which follows the journey of a Madison, WI. family as they adopted three Russian children and navigated parenting using the Circle of Security attachment model.
Nicole is also a certified Circle of Security trainer and consultant. Nicole is a certified Trauma Focused Cognitive Behavioral therapist (TF-CBT). Nicole founded the Coulee Region Child Abuse Prevention Task Force and is very passionate about supporting children who have been exposed and/or experienced trauma. Nicole has served as a mental health liaison for Spence Elementary, in La Crosse, WI. She on the annual La Crosse Child Maltreatment Conference planning committee. Nicole is a collaborator in “Better Together” in La Crosse which is an eight-year mental health project funded through a grant. Nicole is a strong advocate and supporter of implementing trauma informed care with counties, agencies and the community. Over the past four years she has been training the Trauma Informed Parenting course, an eight-week course for caregivers and providers.
Nicole has a master’s degree in Counseling. She is constantly learning and searching for information and research to support and strengthen families raising children with emotional and behavioral needs. Nicole previously worked at La Crosse County Human Services for 22years in the roles of Parent support worker, child protection social worker and as a Clinical Therapist.
Nicole has received her most intense and hands on training and experience through loving parenting two children she and her spouse adopted, one of which has significant emotional and behavioral needs. She is humbled by the support and education needed to raise children who have suffered from past trauma and developmental insults.