Interactive taster session introducing the Therapeutic Resource Platform and tools to help professionals handle difficult conversations.
Taster Session: Conversations that Matter: Why Difficult Conversations Are Hard (and What Helps)
This interactive taster session introduces the Therapeutic Resource Platform and the practical tools designed to help professionals navigate difficult conversations with greater confidence and clarity.
The platform brings together a unique collection of psychological insights, communication models, and practical resources in one place. Designed specifically for professionals working with young people, young adults, and vulnerable individuals, it translates complex theory from neuroscience and psychology into clear, usable tools that support real conversations in practice.
Participants will explore some of the key psychological reasons why conversations can become challenging, including how emotional responses, stress, and behaviour influence communication. The session will introduce simple but powerful frameworks that help explain why people may respond with anger, withdrawal, or resistance during difficult interactions.
During the session, participants will see a live demonstration of the platform, including practical tools that can support more intentional and effective conversations. By applying these approaches, professionals can improve the quality of their conversations and create space for service users to engage more openly and gain more from the time they spend in sessions.
This session is designed for welfare practitioners, social workers, youth workers, care staff, and professionals working in social, educational, or community settings. It also provides an opportunity for open discussion in a professional forum where participants can reflect on challenges from practice and share insights with peers.
The taster session offers a preview of the full training programme, “Conversations that Matter – Key Skills for Difficult Dialogues,” which explores the neuroscience of communication and provides deeper practical strategies for managing complex conversations in professional settings.
What you will gain from this session
- Insight into why difficult conversations happen, including key psychological and behavioural factors that influence communication.
- An introduction to practical communication models that help professionals navigate emotionally charged conversations more effectively.
- Understanding of how stress responses (such as fight, flight, or freeze) can affect how people communicate and respond.
- A demonstration of the Therapeutic Resource Platform, showing how the tools can support real conversations in practice.
- Practical techniques to improve the quality of conversations with young people, young adults, and vulnerable individuals.
- Strategies to build rapport and trust, helping service users feel more comfortable and open in discussions.
- Tools to help service users get more value from their sessions, enabling more meaningful and productive interactions.
- An opportunity to reflect on common challenges faced by professionals working in social, educational, and community settings.
- A preview of the full training programme, Conversations that Matter – Key Skills for Difficult Dialogues.
Facilitator
Our facilitator for this session will be:
Ms Samiat Balogun
Psychosocial Consultant
BSc, MSc
Samiat has over a decade of experience working on the frontline with vulnerable children and young people. With a background in psychology and a Master’s degree in Psychosocial Intervention, she combines strong academic knowledge with extensive real-world experience.
She has worked across a range of communities, including inner and outer London and the Midlands. This has given her a deep understanding of the challenges faced by young people and the professionals who support them.
What distinguishes Samiat’s training is her ability to bridge the gap between theory and practice. She draws on established research and evidence-based frameworks while also incorporating insights from frontline work. This approach ensures that participants engage with ideas that are academically grounded while also being practical and relevant to everyday professional settings.
45min drop on the following dates:
3rd April - 10 am- 10:45 am
6th April -11 pm - 11:45 pm
14th April -10 am - 11:45 pm
22nd April -1:00 pm - 1:45 pm
30th April -10 am - 10:45 am
25th May -1:00 pm - 1:45 pm
Interactive taster session introducing the Therapeutic Resource Platform and tools to help professionals handle difficult conversations.
Taster Session: Conversations that Matter: Why Difficult Conversations Are Hard (and What Helps)
This interactive taster session introduces the Therapeutic Resource Platform and the practical tools designed to help professionals navigate difficult conversations with greater confidence and clarity.
The platform brings together a unique collection of psychological insights, communication models, and practical resources in one place. Designed specifically for professionals working with young people, young adults, and vulnerable individuals, it translates complex theory from neuroscience and psychology into clear, usable tools that support real conversations in practice.
Participants will explore some of the key psychological reasons why conversations can become challenging, including how emotional responses, stress, and behaviour influence communication. The session will introduce simple but powerful frameworks that help explain why people may respond with anger, withdrawal, or resistance during difficult interactions.
During the session, participants will see a live demonstration of the platform, including practical tools that can support more intentional and effective conversations. By applying these approaches, professionals can improve the quality of their conversations and create space for service users to engage more openly and gain more from the time they spend in sessions.
This session is designed for welfare practitioners, social workers, youth workers, care staff, and professionals working in social, educational, or community settings. It also provides an opportunity for open discussion in a professional forum where participants can reflect on challenges from practice and share insights with peers.
The taster session offers a preview of the full training programme, “Conversations that Matter – Key Skills for Difficult Dialogues,” which explores the neuroscience of communication and provides deeper practical strategies for managing complex conversations in professional settings.
What you will gain from this session
- Insight into why difficult conversations happen, including key psychological and behavioural factors that influence communication.
- An introduction to practical communication models that help professionals navigate emotionally charged conversations more effectively.
- Understanding of how stress responses (such as fight, flight, or freeze) can affect how people communicate and respond.
- A demonstration of the Therapeutic Resource Platform, showing how the tools can support real conversations in practice.
- Practical techniques to improve the quality of conversations with young people, young adults, and vulnerable individuals.
- Strategies to build rapport and trust, helping service users feel more comfortable and open in discussions.
- Tools to help service users get more value from their sessions, enabling more meaningful and productive interactions.
- An opportunity to reflect on common challenges faced by professionals working in social, educational, and community settings.
- A preview of the full training programme, Conversations that Matter – Key Skills for Difficult Dialogues.
Facilitator
Our facilitator for this session will be:
Ms Samiat Balogun
Psychosocial Consultant
BSc, MSc
Samiat has over a decade of experience working on the frontline with vulnerable children and young people. With a background in psychology and a Master’s degree in Psychosocial Intervention, she combines strong academic knowledge with extensive real-world experience.
She has worked across a range of communities, including inner and outer London and the Midlands. This has given her a deep understanding of the challenges faced by young people and the professionals who support them.
What distinguishes Samiat’s training is her ability to bridge the gap between theory and practice. She draws on established research and evidence-based frameworks while also incorporating insights from frontline work. This approach ensures that participants engage with ideas that are academically grounded while also being practical and relevant to everyday professional settings.
45min drop on the following dates:
3rd April - 10 am- 10:45 am
6th April -11 pm - 11:45 pm
14th April -10 am - 11:45 pm
22nd April -1:00 pm - 1:45 pm
30th April -10 am - 10:45 am
25th May -1:00 pm - 1:45 pm
Good to know
Highlights
- Online