ONLINE COURSE

 I started journeying with Donna with my first baby girl in the parent infant course which I also highly recommend!! (I could write about that for hours), but with second boy now nearly 3, and my girl going to primary next year ..I felt myself needing to do this course that has been on my mind for a few years and I'm so happy I did! I have been feeling a bit wishy-washy as a parent in that I felt I needed more support to know what I'm doing to help my kids thrive emotionally. I was realising I was a gentle parent that sometimes fell into authoritative and woah and behold this was actually part of the later course and confirmed that learning for me but also gave me ideas with how to work on this to remain wise and secure base for the children (still a work in progress!).The circle of security helps me now to visualize what my child is needing and how I can best support them. I found through different challenges with the children and myself, I was able to sit down with my notes of the circle security and it helped guide me every time to a new learning or where I needed to focus on supporting my kids, whereas before I was a wee bit lost!This course is also another beautifully led space by Donna who allows me to feel safe enough and who I trust has the expertise and knowledge to present the course and hold it wherever it goes - lots of discussions between all of us which took learning to abother level!We had some Dads join in and it helped all of us to work together with our partners better. I'm going to put this out there as I feel many woman could resonate with this, but I was becoming very unregulated with believing I was holding the circle all by myself (especially the organizing emotions of my 4yr old) ..however doing this with my partner and hearing the other dads talk alot during the course really helped my own regulation because I realized that my partner does a huge job at holding the circle for all of us (even when I do more of 'being with' emotions as this is more my gift and im physically at home with the kids more) but he does it in different ways, we all have different gifts to contribute to parenting of our children and we work together more as a team. This is because learning about the circle of security gave us the structure and language to talk about parenting together and we did this more regularly on a day to day basis, sometimes I was missing a clue or awareness of what was happening with the kids and my partner would have that missing piece!. We also recognized that he was the hands that held me (and I was often the hands that held the kids) and so the system fell apart if we weren't connected. The circle again gave us the framework to see this.I feel like I'm an adventurer now with everything I need move forward in parenting, rather than feeling like I have no map! I have softer eyes and heart towards myself and my kids again (most of the time and thats also enough). Thankyou from the bottom of my heart Donna 

I honestly didn’t know what to expect walking into this course. Donna and the circle of security came recommended by one of the most beautiful souls I have ever met from my daughters daycare, and talking to her about it, it felt right in my heart that this was the exact course I needed in my parenting journey.

It’s hard to put into words what I got from the course (and I know I’ll miss several things! Also sorry In advance for the novel )

I did this course with my husband which I recommend if you’re able to. Donna is really understanding about parents needing to step in and out for children throughout and there was never an expectation to sit and listen 100% of the time if it wasn’t possible - she completely gets it which really helped! This course gave my husband and I a language to communicate in and with each of us having a different parenting style it created a bridge that we could meet in the middle and both agree on our direction. We are using things we have learnt in the circle everyday, and it doesnt feel hard because it just makes sense!

I could go into a lot of detail here about all the things I really liked, but it would make this message so long and no one would read it haha! If you’re on the fence about doing this - just jump in! I promise you will not regret it.

I love the connection that has been built into our family from this. And I also love that the things you learn each week are immediately able to be seen in the real world and put into practice. It’s just just things you watch or read and then leave there and forget about.

The ultimate magic of this course lies in the other parents who do it with you and of course - the amazing Donna. Donna brings the most incredible love, patience and understanding to the classes and it honestly feels like you do every class with a huge warm hug around you. She laughs with you, helps you shed your guilt and gives you tools to move forward. There was never any judgement or anytime that I didn’t feel safe to share. Doing the course with other parents was great and provided real examples of the circle and things other families were going through - I never felt alone in our struggles and successes. In every class we had deep meaning conversations and plenty of laughs! A truly beautiful group of people 

I really looked forward to the class every week and to be honest I’m really sad it’s finished 

Donna, I cannot wait to see what 2024 brings for you and please put me down for self reg classes or regular catch ups if possible 

 Donna you are truly a healer!

Your work is touching and transforming the root of so many issues we face now in all levels. I feel blessed to be in your creative space and feel the presence of the ancient wisdom of natural parenting which is long forgotten.

I feel glad that I asked you if men are welcomed into your courses you offer and you gave me a YES! Now that I am writing after few weeks the course completed, the results of the course is still unfolding more..I just can say “fathers, sign up!”

Looking forward to see you more and get nourished and healed.

It has been an incredible privilege to journey this journey. This course has been transformative I have done circle of security with Donna Stichbury twice, each time adding more depth to my lens and understanding. During my second time doing circle (recently) Donna mentioned this Stuart Shanker self-reg pilot she was doing and I could not have jumped into it any faster. It came at the most perfect time for me and hearing about it I knew I NEEDED this.

This self-reg course weaved beautifully with circle of security and added a whole new perspective and understanding that has been so valuable to me as a kaiako and a person who is always caught in stress cycles, before, not having the tools to pull myself into a regulated state. I feel many kaiako can relate to this, our industry is full of stressors and many of us aren't fully aware of how unregulated we may be until we are caught so deep within it. This course took me through Stuart Shanker's 5 steps of self-reg and how it effortlessly weaved with circle of security, I have become more aware of stress in myself, my colleagues, and the children I work with.

I would recommend this course to anyone, especially kaiako. A huge part of our job is co-regulating with children and how can we do that when we are unregulated ourselves (often unaware we are unregulated). In addition, if you are working with children or teachers who are perceived as 'challenging' then 100% this is for you!!

Ngā mihi nui to all the amazing wāhine who held space through this course, shared your experiences and truths. I look forward to hopefully catching up again soon.

And Donna, thank you, thank you, thank you!! You are such a light, I am always so grateful for the time and knowledge I get to share with you I feel every time I come away from ako with you, my light shines brighter. Your ability to hold others with such compassion and understanding is a gift Arohanui x

In one of our first conversations together you spoke about your love of Stuart Shanker’s self reg and you knew that it was a missing piece of the puzzle for teachers and their own ways of showing up authentically as their true selves for children.

Having watch you embody this as you rode your own wave of stressors and needing to understand soft eyes for yourself and the very need of this for the child, you have brought a new level of true understanding. This has meant you can mentor others to see this in themselves so they can share this for the children that have gifted them their own need for soft eyes to see that child differently.

I have loved the ways in which this course has encouraged me to think of which domains my stressors lie and how to minimise them, the reminder to think of how those around me look and act when they are regulated as a means to support them when they may not look like this, and the important glimmers that help me to fill up my cup.

This work fits in beautifully with circle of security, polyvagal theory and pikler and supports what I have been learning about my own nervous system and creating a safe haven and home for children.

Thank you for bringing me on this journey and for sharing your passion, mentoring and knowledge with me