Be your child's compass point  


5-week online course

Heart Matters: The Science of Emotion



Five Saturday mornings
January 14 to February 11

Discussion 10:30 -11:30 am

Video to be watched ahead in your own time (access provided) or on the Zoom call at 9:15 Saturday   

$125 etransfer to april.quan1@gmail.com



Please contact me with any questions


Sliding scale available

Does your child look to you to find the way?

As a loving parent you want to lead your child, if only to bed at bedtime.  You want to be able to impart your values and goals, especially as your child becomes an adolescent.  You want to be the rock in the sometimes stormy emotional sea, giving guidance and comfort at turbulent times. 

You want to lead, but is your child following?

It isn't easy being a parent.  It would take a lifetime to read all the parenting books available, and we would still be confused, even more so given all the approaches that are out there.

This approach is different. 

The answer is in you, in your instinct to protect and nurture your child.  In fact, you are the answer.  You have everything necessary to build and maintain the kind of connection that keeps your child feeling secure.  You don't need a manual, even if your child had come with one.

I'm April Quan, and since 2008 I've been in awe at the way Dr. Gordon Neufeld's simple but profound approach to parenting changes lives. His work is based on the latest attachment and brain research, but resonates with the lives of human families from the earliest of times.

Through the courses I offer and in my consulting, I've had the honour of sharing the parenting journey with some of the most dedicated parents and wonderful people I could ever hope to meet.  It has been a joy to help them find confidence in themselves as parents.   

If you are in the Toronto area, perhaps we will meet at one of my courses or in individual consultation.  I'd love to hear from you.  Please sign up to receive email updates on courses and events.    


How is Dr. Neufeld's approach different from most others? 

Dr. Neufeld is a renowned developmental psychologist.  The developmental approach takes the focus off behavioural reinforcement, incentives, and consequences.  A lot of problem behaviours are simply immaturity.  Our goal is to promote maturation through attachment.

Nature has a plan for development.  The role of a parent is to create the right conditions for the plan to unfold.  The right conditions result in a child who is securely attached to the people who are responsible for his or her well-being.  The plan, the design, contains all the elements of character and maturity we hope to see in a child who is growing up as s/he should: creativity, independence, consideration of others, resilience, resourcefulness, and the list could go on. 

If this is Nature's design for the human being, why aren't we all like this?


Because conditions for development need to be right, and when they aren't, maturation can get stuck.

A seed sprouting in the crack of a sidewalk is a testament to the power of life, but the odds are it won't reach its full potential.  How much better it would be to have enough room to spread its roots and take solid hold of the earth that could sustain it through life.  This attachment is its source of strength.  A sign that your child's attachment is secure enough to promote maturation is that s/he trusts in your lead.  S/he will have a compass point, you.   


"Tell me whom you love and I will tell you who you are."  Creole Proverb

"April - I wanted to say a big thank you for offering the Discipline course. It was a great learning experience. Not only are you a wonderful teacher but you allow time for us as parents to touch on our own particular concerns. Previously there'd been moments with my son when I'd been feeling a bit adrift and at sea when it came to discipline matters. I only
wish I'd attended something like this sooner. I'm back on dry land and feeling more able and confident. Thank you again."

Gwyn Jones MSc, RSW, Mental Health Therapist, WOHS


"I am ever grateful for having been introduced to April.  The wealth of information and coaching she provided in my consultation positively impacted me deeply.  The Vital  Connection course has also been an incredible experience, helping participants to become more rooted and confident in the role of parent.  These classes are wonderful for parents of children at any age.  I plan on taking every one of the courses April offers, and I thank her for her generosity of spirit."

Brandie Hadfield 
Wellness Coach and Attachment Parenting group leader


"These three courses [Power to Parent] have been a true blessing for me and my 6 year-old son. While I had read many parenting books in the past, this material is the only one that has made intuitive sense and that has resonated with my whole being. My course participation has already yielded huge benefits in my relationship with my son. April is a very skilled facilitator who is able to create a safe space in which parents can share their parenting dilemmas and be open with each other. I can highly recommend this course to any parent, parent-to-be, grandparent, teacher or any sort of caregiver to children." 

Carola Spiess  MSW  RSW


"I wish I could scream from the light posts - all parents take this course!!!! [Making Sense of Preschoolers]  Our lives changed FOR SURE and we are so grateful to have met you."   

Sylvie Stramwasser


"The principles I learned through the Power to Parent courses led by April Quan have changed the way I approach parenting in several important ways.  The emphasis on building and maintaining connection with my child resonated deeply for me.  Every time I remember to use one of Gordon Neufeld's strategies, I can feel my relationship with my daughter growing stronger.  Unlike other courses that deal merely with modifying behaviour, Power to Parent addresses what's truly important - strengthening the bond between parent and child, and helping both move toward achieving their full human potential."            

Glenda MacFarlane   Writer



"The Power to Parent [Vital Connection] course has had a profound effect on my day to day parenting.  It truly was a paradigm shift. Dr Neufeld's work is more comprehensive and more easily applied than anything I have read thus far.  As intuitive and well laid out as Dr Neufeld's DVDs are, April's classes were essential for consolidating the information and applying it to my own life. Her calm, warm, non-judgemental attitude encouraged an atmosphere of reflection in our group discussions.   
I have recommended April's courses and Dr Neufeld's DVDs to a number of parents already, and I would unhesitatingly recommend April's courses to anyone!"  

Heather Read  
Elementary Teacher, BSc., MA in Child Study and Education




I recently enrolled in April's Making Sense of Discipline session.  I learned of it through my son's ECE teachers as they often spoke highly of Dr. Neufeld's informative and enlightening work.  As a single father who often looks for ways to be proactive when it comes to discipline I found it extremely beneficial to hear Dr. Neufeld explain the various paths to strengthening the loving bond we all work hard to establish so that discipline is no longer a word I associate with disobedience and frustration.  In contrast I now associate the term with the exercise and practice of patience and compassion with my own child and I intend to continue to do so throughout the early years of my parenting and well beyond into my child's young adult years.  

ApriI's guidance throughout the three sessions allowed me to get a much better understanding of some of the more complex issues and dynamics of discipline.  Her use of analogies as well as her reflections on her own personal experience as a parent helped to illustrate key points and gave them context.  On a more personal note her genuine approach and willingness to listen to our individual concerns put us at ease and helped comfort us in knowing we were all leaving each evening more informed and inspired parents.

I have highly recommended this course to my own circle of friends as well as my relatives and I strongly urge and invite anyone with children, children on the way, or anyone planning on having a family to consider attending.

Sincerely,
Trevor Burnett


"I have taken The Vital Connection and Making Sense of Preschoolers courses run by April.  In one way, these courses have completely changed my outlook on parenting and in another way they have simply affirmed my natural instincts as a parent. I find that a lot of it is also relevant to other relationships in my life. The lectures were well organized and easily relatable to my own life with the help of our great facilitator. April's calm and reassuring presence helped me feel secure when sharing my personal experiences and exploring new ideas. The guidance she provides to people taking these courses is based on a strong foundation of knowledge and continued curiosity about the material (a sign of good teacher!).  I highly recommend April's courses to everyone!"

 -Claire Oswald (Toronto, ON)

 
 

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