Security through bonding and attachment is the first foundational developmental task upon which all other human development builds on. As social beings, humans need nurturing touch throughout the lifespan, for healthy psychological, social, emotional development and healthy interpersonal relationships. 

Parenting children with histories of trauma can be tricky for many reasons, especially when it comes to navigating if to touch, when to touch, and how to touch. So this webinar explores these issues and offers practical suggestions for providing safe, nurturing touch for children who have experienced early adversity. 

Dr. Willis Hepp has been working with and on behalf of children and families formed through foster care and adoption since 2005. She earned her PhD in Human Development and Family Science at the University of Delaware in 2013. Now an Associate Professor at Towson University in Baltimore, Maryland, Dr. Willis Hepp’s research focuses on non-normative family transitions, including congregate, foster, and adoptive care experiences. She has extensive training in attachment-based, strength-based interventions for children and families as a parent educator, conducting in-home, one-on-one, and group educational programming. Her work has taken her to Eastern Europe, Latin America, and Central Asia, and has resulted in a number research publications and book chapters. She is the president of the Family Science Association.