In this podcast episode,
Emily Torres, an educator with Spokane Public Schools for 21 years, discusses her experience piloting a program for trauma-impacted teens. The program uses a counselor-in-the-classroom approach with a curriculum designed around self-awareness. Torres worked alongside psychologists to develop and implement the curriculum, which includes daily practices and a weekly therapist visit. The program also incorporates the Circle of Security approach to help students deal with challenging situations. Torres emphasizes the importance of having a willing teacher and a partnership to implement such a program successfully. Torres’ goal is to help students develop skills that they can use with their own families later in life. Torres believes that her students have incredible wisdom. Overall, Torres’s program aims to help students become more resilient and better equipped to deal with the challenges they face.