People who support young people bring deep care, commitment, and skill to their work—but they are still human. Under stress, even the most thoughtful facilitators, educators, counselors, and helping professionals can become reactive, shut down, over-accommodate, or lose access to the very relationship skills they most want to model. In this practical and compassionate webinar, The Dibble Institute and Dovetail Learning will explore what happens when caring people get stuck. Participants will be introduced to Dovetail’s concept of Protective Patterns—common ways people react when they feel overwhelmed, vulnerable, or under pressure—and will consider how those patterns affect communication, conflict, and connection with colleagues, partners, and the young people they serve. Together, we’ll explore how curiosity can help interrupt unhelpful patterns and create more space for resilience, reflection, and repair. Participants will leave with practical tools they can use right away to strengthen relationships, navigate difficult moments, and support healthier interactions…
Youth Development Professionals
For years, Mind Matters has helped teens and adults do some of the hardest, most important work of their lives — building resilience, managing stress, and learning to treat themselves with compassion. We’ve seen what’s possible when people have the right tools and the right support. Now, we’re proud to introduce Mind Matters 2.0: A Map for Thriving — a fully updated curriculum grounded in the latest neuroscience and trauma-informed care, and we want you to see it up close. Join us for a live webinar with the author of Mind Matters, Carolyn Curtis, Ph.D., and Aaron Larson, Director of Programs, as they walk through the updated curriculum and show you what’s new, what’s deeper, and what’s possible for the people you serve. You’ll get a firsthand look at: New content in every lesson, reflecting current research on how the brain heals and grows A brand-new Lesson 6 — dedicated entirely to self-compassion and resilience New digital…
The Dating Recession: Insights form the 2025 National Dating Landscape Survey Young adults are living through a dating recession — and it’s happening during their prime years. The 2025 National Dating Landscape Survey reveals a striking paradox: most young adults want traditional relationships, marriage, and family — but many lack the dating skills and resilience to get there. Significant barriers are keeping them from even starting. It’s not a fear of commitment. It’s a skills gap. Despite widespread interest in relationship education, practical dating skills remain largely untaught — overlooked by mainstream culture and the relationship education field alike. The result: young adults who are motivated but unequipped. They need a road map. One that bridges the gap between wanting a lasting relationship and building one. What You’ll Learn: How often young adults are dating today — and why the numbers may surprise you The barriers standing between them and…
Unpacking the Dibble Treasure Chest! You may think you know The Dibble Institute… but do you really? Did you know: We offer hundreds of free resources on our website? We are constantly updating our materials with the latest research? Our training clients regularly give us an A+ for our engaging and effective facilitation techniques? Annually we help hundreds of organizations apply for and win grants to provide relationship education? Join us at this special webinar to unpack the Dibble treasure chest and give you some insights into what’s coming! Objectives: Participants will be able to: Effectively use Dibble’s free resources Review our new programs Explain Dibble’s training approach Learn three key facilitation skills Identify sources for future funding Presenter: Rachel Savasuk-Luxton, Director of Training and Research Aaron Larson, Director of Programs Jo Anne Eason, National Outreach Coordinator Caleb Cook, Senior Trainer Who should attend: Those who currently use or are interested in…
Helping Healers Heal by Completing the Stress Cycle Why do we as youth development professionals often feel stuck? Attend this webinar to learn skills to move through the entire stress cycle rather than being stuck in tension, which can cause harm to the mind and body over time. Practicing evidence-based techniques will help you truly relax and then reenergize, so you can be grounded and present for the youth you support. Techniques learned can also be taught to youth to build resilience. The Team at “IN WITH OUT” provides meaningful experiences that foster reflection, create connections, and inspire action. Through the process of Reflection (In), Connection (With), and Action (Out), we support providers in finding and sustaining wellness so that they can more effectively support others. Objectives: Participants will be able to understand: Understand the neurobiology of stress. Learn and practice several evidence-based strategies to complete the stress cycle. Discuss how…
Lopsided Love: Asymmetrical Commitment in Romantic Relationships One of the greatest insights on lopsided commitment came from sociologist Willard Waller in 1936, when he described the “principle of least interest,” defined in this way: “That person is able to dictate the conditions of association whose interest in the continuation of the affair is least.’’ Analogously, the person who is most committed has the least power in a relationship. There is a growing and robust literature on asymmetrical commitment, with studies showing that it is associated not only with poor relationship dynamics but also specific personal characteristics such as attachment difficulties. Dr. Scott Stanley and Dr. Galena Rhoades have published numerous papers on this topic. In this talk, they will describe what’s up with lopsided love. Objectives: Participants will: Learn about the nature and consequences of asymmetrically committed romantic relationships regarding relationship quality, relationship stability, and risks for aggression. Be able…
What happens when you organize college undergraduates to provide healthy marriage and relationship education (HMRE) to their peers in a structured service-learning class? This presentation will describe a community engagement strategy and pedagogical approach to prepare emerging professionals and strengthen romantic relationships by utilizing undergraduate peer educators to facilitate HMRE to other undergraduate students in their campus community. Join Drs. McElwain and Finnegan as they discuss the process of training, planning, and implementing content from the evidence-based Love Notes curriculum that helped college peers see human development and family relations concepts “come to life,” open a “whole new world” of career opportunities, and develop key professional skills. Objectives: Participants will be able to: Understand the benefits of a peer education model for delivering HMRE through structured university service-learning courses. Identify peer impact and practical gains of facilitating relationship education through a service-learning experience Learn from peer educators’ reflections on their…
Strengthening Facilitation Skills: A Training Curriculum for Programs Working with Youth, is a free, three-module curriculum designed to help facilitators of youth-serving programs improve the quality of their facilitation skills. It was developed as part of a formative evaluation of Healthy Marriage and Relationship Education programs conducted by Mathematica and its partner Public Strategies in conjunction with two community-based organizations called STREAMS. Join Erin Welch and Scott Roby for this webinar where they will share details about the curriculum’s development, describe its resources, and explain how it can be used to foster facilitators’ development. Learn how you can maximize learning and engagement using best practices and participant-centered and trauma-informed facilitation Objectives: Participants will internalize the goals and development process of the Strengthening Facilitation Skills curriculum. Participants will explore the content and resources included in the curriculum. Participants will understand how to use the curriculum and hear tips from the field….
From underperforming schools to unsafe neighborhoods, from institutional racism to other structural barriers, hindrances often stand in the way of financial success for young adults from disadvantaged backgrounds. Given these challenges, many young adults lose hope, thinking they have no way of changing their life trajectories. However, there is a path that frequently leads to the “American Dream” and away from poverty. This path is called the “Success Sequence.” The sequence entails three steps: (1) getting at least a high-school degree, (2) working full-time, and (3) marrying before having children. Young adults who manage to follow the sequence – even in the face of challenges – are much more likely to forge a path to a better economic life. Join Brad Wilcox and Wendy Wang as they discuss how poverty is basically nonexistent among young adults who followed all three steps according to their new analysis of data from the…
WEBINAR: Co-Regulation Strategies: Practical Tools for Program Staff to Foster Youth Self-Regulation
What is co-regulation? Why does it matter? How can I integrate co-regulation into my program or practice? Join interventionist and nurse-educator Aly Frei to explore co-regulation, its importance for youth development, and its potential to improve program outcomes. Co-regulation is a term that helps describe the important interactions between adults and young people that foster youth self-regulation. Self-Regulation is a central ingredient in lifelong success, predicting healthy relationships, economic self-sufficiency, and physical and emotional well-being. Because of rapid change in youths’ brains and bodies, adolescence is an important time for adults to promote self-regulation development. Through co-regulation, adults form relationships where youth feel cared for and known; co-create safe and nurturing environments; and give youth opportunities to practice self-regulation skills and reflect on how to apply them in their lives. Integrating co-regulation strategies into youth service delivery is a promising approach for improving program implementation and youth outcomes. Objectives: Webinar…