About This Session

Discover the unique challenges of foster families and children through the intersection of faith and neuroscience.

Foster families can experience tremendous stress when offering care. Often underrepresented in foster family stress are the experiences of the child that required them to be placed in care in the first place… How do we begin to understand the experience of foster children and families through the wisdom of both faith and neuroscience? This session will explore how historically disparate fields of faith and neuroscience offer language to deepen our holistic understanding of how suffering might be experienced in people as embodied souls, and how healing is offered through healthy relationships. This session also invites ministers to consider their responsibility as leaders in modeling a deeper commitment of care toward inspiring their broader faith communities to live this commitment.

"This was the exact content I was hoping for and so enlightening and encouraging. Both speakers were amazing and provided clear teaching/examples of integrating faith and neuroscience. Very enjoyable to listen and learn from them and see their friendship and professional respect for each other. Loved this course!!!"

- 2023 Lost Sparrows Trauma Conference Attendee

About Beth

As program director for the Fiat Program on Faith and Mental Health at the McGrath Institute for Church Life at the University of Notre Dame, Beth leads the Institute’s efforts to generate pastoral research, education, and formation opportunities on mental health and the Catholic tradition. A mental health counselor, Beth has provided therapeutic care for adolescents and adults with histories of trauma and adverse child experiences. Her therapeutic approach is integrative, attending to neural-developmental influences and the intersection of spirituality and psychology. Beth obtained her masters in clinical mental health counseling from Divine Mercy University. Prior to transitioning to counseling, Beth worked at the Kellogg Institute for International Studies at the University of Notre Dame. There, she shepherded the development of and managed several interdisciplinary programs that united theological and social science research. Beth is a Domer (‘11), having graduated from the University of Notre Dame with a BA in Theology and Peace Studies; she pursued postgraduate studies at the University of Oxford in Christian Ethics. Beth and her husband Pete treasure their community in South Bend, IN and delight in visits back to the great outdoors of Beth’s hometown in Wyoming.

Beth Hlabse

Program Director, Fiat Program on Faith and Mental Health

About Dr. Michael

Professor Michael is the Director of Undergraduate Studies for the Neuroscience and Behavior major in the College of Science. She received her B.S. degree in Biomedical Science from Western Michigan University in 2001. After spending many years in the workforce, she returned to graduate study in 2008 and earned Ph.D. in Neuroscience from the University of Minnesota in 2012. Professor Michael uses her disciplinary expertise to develop and implement NEAR (neuroscience, epigenetics, adverse childhood experiences, resilience) science approaches that aim to mitigate the impact of toxic stress on individuals and communities. Her work uses a community-based change theory model to work with community organizations in developing population specific NEAR-based strategies to support organizational and community efforts in becoming trauma-informed.

Dr. Nancy Michael

Professor

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