Entry Requirements for Training Pathway
Participants must be accredited practicing therapists or professionals, or practitioners (such as lived experience practitioners or family support workers) who work with children and families within an organisation that maintains practice governance, supervision, safeguarding, and equality policies.
Have a question about entry requirements? Email us!
About our Training Program
We would like to welcome you to join us for our NVRA accredited training programme in NVR Therapy and Practice with Peter Jakob, who brought NVR to the UK more than 20 years ago, and Kerry Shoesmith who first introduced the approach to residential child care.
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Few difficulties have such a strong impact on professionals as harmful and self-destructive child behaviour. Often, we respond with frustration and a sense of helplessness and feel a nagging doubt whether we can help in bringing about any significant improvement. In this, professionals often mirror parents or other caregivers, especially when the young person in question does not or cannot make good use of individual therapy for bringing about change. It is exactly for this reason that NVR was first developed by Prof. Haim Omer and his associates – to help caregivers and the professionals who work with them develop relational agency in responding to the challenges the family or home is facing.
NVR is “transdiagnostic”. In other words, it can be brought to bear across a wide range of background difficulties. In NVR, we do not ‘target symptoms’ or aim to ‘change the child with strategies’. Instead, we open possibilities for change by working within the adult-child relationship in specific ways: professionals coach parents or other caregivers to bring together their constructive action in deterring the child from harmful or self-destructive acts, and at the same time reconnect with them. This ‘both/and’ of raising the presence of the parent in the experience of the child lies at the core of NVR practice. In the process, the adults develop their own parental agency, while “anchoring” the child: A young person who finds that the adult does not yield to their controlling behaviour, without showing anger, hostility of fear, will begin to feel safer, and more securely attached to the adult. This is a powerful invitation to the child – to change their own position in the relationship. We speak of ‘voices’ in the child that become activated – voices of wanting to cooperate with the parent, wanting to receive guidance, wanting to feel good about themselves in their core relationships, wanting to feel successful and accomplished in their undertakings… ‘voices’ that have often not been heard for a long time, including by the young person themselves.
Professionals who work with NVR feel empowered when they see real change – first in the parent, later in the child, in the relationships between siblings, between the family and its social environment – and know they have been crucial in bringing this about. Many practitioners experience their agency in working with the family and facilitating the growth of a support network or “caring community” around it and find this experience deeply rewarding and uplifting.
While psycho-educational parent groups based on NVR give parents or other caregivers an insight into the principles underlying what has been called “new authority parenting” and help them learn to appreciate the merits of adult self-control and self-regulation, more in-depth individual family or group work yields the opportunity for coaching parents in a therapeutic way. Of course, both modalities can go hand in hand, or one can follow from the other. The work can then be tailored to the specific needs of the family, the parents and the children. Certain adaptations of the approach can be brought to bear, where there are greater complexities at work. For example, Peter Jakob developed a trauma-informed and child-focused way of working with NVR that addresses the difficulties that stem from adverse experiences of children or parents. Another example is the creative NVR methods that Kerry Shoesmith and her colleagues have developed to help some of the most troubled young people in residential care feel they belong and have a growing sense of self-worth.
Training Details
In our Foundation Level training (NVRA Level I), you will become conversant with the underlying principles and theory base of NVR. Importantly, through experiential learning you will become familiar with the methods that parents or other caregivers can use to raise their presence: to resist and reconnect; methods which also help them to develop greater self-control and self-regulation and become more confident when faced with often extremely problematic child behaviour. You will develop your own skill base in coaching parents to use these methods constructively, in ways that bring about a change to previously established patterns of interaction within the family. You will learn to facilitate the growth of support networks, and to work with siblings.
Should you go on to enter in Advanced Level training (NVRA Level II) – and we would highly recommend that you consider this – the Generic Advanced Level module will help you deepen your understanding of NVR practice and enhance your skill set. You will learn how classic NVR methods which you coach parents to parents use, such as the announcement, sitting with the young person, or relational/reconciliation gestures can be utilized as therapeutic vehicles for change in family interaction patterns. A particular focus will be on helping parents or other caregivers to overcome social isolation and engage with supportive other adults, while at the same time nurturing their self-care and care of the other. You will be introduced to working in areas of greater complexity, such as suicide risk, self-harm, risk of sexual or criminal exploitation, substance misuse or high levels of violence and aggression. There will be attention on working with families in which a child is neurodivergent.
Our Specialist Advanced Level training module, which build on the generic module, takes practitioners into areas of working with very high complexity. While we offer all three Specialist modules – Child and Trauma, Residential and Fostering and Organisational NVR – as agency-based courses, only our Child and Trauma module is currently available as an individually attended course in Eastbourne. The Child and Trauma module will focus on how NVR practices are utilized as trauma-focused methods, so they can be helpful for children or parents who have experienced severe abuse or neglect which remains harmful to them in the present. However, even where this is not the case, harmful behaviour generates its own traumatic experience, and neuro-divergence can lead to severe traumatization in young people and, by extension, in other members of the family, foster- or residential home. This model can equip you to work competently in these areas of very high complexity.
Learning outcomes – Foundation Level 1
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Knowledge of core principles of NVR such as spatial, embodied and systemic adult presence, symmetrical and complementary escalation, parental self-control and self-regulation, de-escalation, de-habituation to aggression and overcoming submission, re-balancing accommodation. Understanding the concepts of new authority and the anchoring function of attachment. Understanding the role of shame and shame regulation.
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Knowledge of theory base, including systemic theory of interpersonal processes in the family and growth mindset theory.
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Clear understanding of parent methods of constructive resistance to harmful behaviour such as announcement, self-announcement, campaign of concern, de-escalating and mentalization-based messaging, de-escalation during critical incidents (“hot iron work”), planning and developing deferred responses (“striking the iron when it’s cold”), progressive de-accommodation, relational gestures.
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Understanding extraneous factors which impact on parent and child, such as misogynistic discourses, parent blaming and intersectionalities relating to minoritisation, social inequality and economic hardship.
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Knowledge of NVR outcome research.
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Ability to form a cooperative relationship with parents, self-reflective positioning towards parents/caregivers and children. Developing an understanding and felt sense of ‘anchoring’ parents.
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Developing skill in facilitating cooperation between parents to overcome parental schism; supporting parents to engage supporters in the NVR process.
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Knowing purpose and aims of engaging siblings in the NVR process, knowing how to structure work with siblings.
Learning outcomes – Advanced Level 2 Modules I & II
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Understanding the need for and facilitating emotionally safe support networks – developing a community of concern around the family, foster home or residential home.
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Using interoception to identify emotionally safe, critical/prescriptive and dangerous/coercive positions of other adults towards family members.
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Understanding the exception principle and facilitating the engagement of emotionally safe supporters.
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Use of the imaginary support dialogue.
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Understanding the utilization principle; learning methods of inviting other adults to transition from a critical/prescriptive to an emotionally safe/supportive position.
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Understanding compassionate witnessing, multi-directional partiality and appreciative witnessing.
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Learning the structure and facilitation of supporters meetings.
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Becoming conversant with methods of engaging parents to become supporters for a residential or foster home, and engaging foster or residential carers in becoming supporters for parents.
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Learning NVR-based parent work, overcome parental divisions and facilitating cooperation between parents.
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Learning a structure for engaging siblings of the interest child; integrating safeguarding practices in the NVR process
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Learning to help parents and caregivers effectively resist parent blaming.
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Understanding the resistance principle; developing skills in supporting parents and the support network/caring community in using NVR methods to resist dangerous/coercive intrusion in the family.
Learning outcomes – Masterclass in Trauma Focused NVR
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Knowing theory and practice of using embodiment and imaginary practices in helping parents develop hope, agency and positive expectations of future interaction with their child.
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Understanding the process of ‘erasure’ and moving from erasure to a ‘presence mindset’.
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Understanding how to use NVR as a trauma-focused method for parents: using the ‘moment of strength’ method and other embodiment techniques.
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Knowledge and skills in facilitating embodied, interpersonal synchronicity between parents and between parents and their supporters.
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Understanding of theory of ‘caring dialogue’ in NVR and skills in implementing future focused methods for stimulating caring dialogue between parent and child.
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Skills in the use of relational gestures to address unmet need in traumatized children.
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Understanding areas of unmet need in children and young people, especially the need for security, for a sense of belonging, for self-determination and for a coherent and sufficiently positive attachment narrative.
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Relational gestures that integrate resistance to harmful or self-destructive behaviour with addressing unmet need.
Level 1
Foundation Training
Duration
4 days, of which 3 are didactic teaching days and one practice day to consolidate learning and apply it to your own workplace situation. (total 24 hours).
Certification
Candidates receive an attendance certificate upon completion.
Level 2
Advanced Training
Duration
6 days in total (36 hours).​
Advanced Level
4 days, of which 3 are didactic teaching days, and one practice day to consolidate learning and apply it to your own workplace situation.
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One of three Specialist Advanced Level Master Classes
2 days focusing on a specialisation.
Level 3
Accredited Practitioner
Eligibility​
completion of advanced level 2 - including the coursework requirement.
Available on demand at Connective Strench and through NVRA and NVR UK Accredited Training Centers.
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Forthcoming Training
Accredited Foundation NVR Level I (4 days)
With Kerry Shoesmith and Dr Peter Jakob:
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17th - 20th March 2026.
Address: 13 Hyde Gardens, Eastbourne
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Accredited Advanced NVR Level 2 (6 days to include Masterclass)
With Dr Peter Jakob and Kerry Shoesmith:
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20th & 21st April 2026 (Module I)
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1st & 2nd June 2026 (Module II)
Address: 73 - 81 Southwark Bridge Road, SE1 0NQ
(Ten minutes walk from London Bridge underground train station)
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Masterclass in Trauma Focused NVR
With Dr Peter Jakob and Kerry Shoesmith:
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5th & 6th October 2026 (Module III)
Address: 73 - 81 Southwark Bridge Road, SE1 0NQ
(Ten minutes walk from London Bridge underground train station)
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All courses can be provided as agency based, please click below to contact us or for more information.
Specialist Advanced Levels Available
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Child and Trauma
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Organisational (agency-based or available on request with sufficient individual demand)
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Residential and Fostering (agency-based or available on request with sufficient individual demand)
Coursework Requirement for Advanced Level 2 & Level 3 Accredited Practitioner
Level 2​
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Participants must present a reflective journal detailing their journey in NVR, how it resonates with them, and examples of its application in their practice.
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Coursework will be evaluated by a Connective Strength associate. A £165 fee applies.
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A level 2 certificate is given once the coursework has been evaluated as passed. At this point participants will be eligible for the accreditation Level 3.
Level 3
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Participants must submit a case study or presentation on an NVR intervention, incorporating relevant literature, to achieve Accredited practitioner training.
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The accreditation module will be provided on demand and can be undertaken with any other NVRA and NVR UK training organisation.​​
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A level 3 certificate is given once the coursework has been evaluated as passed. At this point participants will be Accredited Practitioners!