OUR NHA STORY
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We knew what to do... in theory.
We are Naftoli and Yael, Advanced Nurtured Heart Approach ® trainers, mental health professionals and parents of amazing and wonderful kids, who like all kids, have their moments where they don't seem so amazing and wonderful.
Rewind to about 4 years ago. It was chaos. We had taken parenting classes. We read all the parenting books. We were doing all the traditional things to parent our children. Nothing was working. The intensity in the family was bouncing from one child to another. We were getting calls from the school. We desperately wanted to help our children, but were stuck. And... We were in the mental health field! We knew what to do... in theory. Like all parents, we tried the best that could with the tools that we had... Things were not improving... perhaps even escalating with all our loving, well-meaning efforts. Prizes, treats, consequences.You name it, we tried it! We were dedicated to finding a solution, but were going in circles. It was humbling, very humbling.
One day, in the summer of 2015, Naftoli signed us up for a full day training with Howard Glasser the developer of the Nurtured Heart Approach® . I had zero interest. We convinced ourselves we were doing this for professional reasons, but I had very little faith that this would be any different that all the other methods and all of the other parenting classes we had taken. But we had a little hope in the back of our minds that maybe, just maybe this could help our situation at home.
That workshop was life changing for us, and it was just the beginning of our Nurtured Heart Journey. That day, we started to learn a new language. A new way to communicate with our kids, with people we work and interact with, with each other. We thought we had to change our kids and their attitudes, but really we needed to understand our own emotions, what triggers us, how what we say effects and triggers our kids, and how we all reach higher levels of greatness surrounded by positivity. We began to use the ideas and tools Howard shared with us and we began to see an immediate shift. It wasn't easy - it was totally counter intuitive to every other parenting technique we had done previously. It was ridiculously simple and so hard at the
Fast forward.. It has been 3 plus years.we have training a residential center , schools, therapists, parents and individuals. The success stories are constant. We are excited and honored to share this powerful gift with all of you!
It was chaos. We had taken parenting classes. We read books. Nothing was working. The intensity in the family was bouncing from one child to another. We were getting calls from the school and we didn't know what to do. And... We were in the mental health field. We "know" how to handle problems LOL. Like all parents, we tried the best that could with the tools that we had... Things were not improving... Perhaps escalating with all our loving, well-meaning efforts. Prizes, treats, consequences... You name it; we thought we had tried everything. It was humbling, very humbling. Getting into the car with entire family to spend wonderful family time was a war zone.
One day, in the summer of 2015, we went to a full day training with Howard Glasser the developer of the Nurtured Heart Approach® . I had zero interest, in fact I was refusing due to a lack of faith. Why will this workshop be helpful? My husband, encouraged me along. We went the full day joking that we were there as professionals. But we really knew we need a new start and were willing to try anything that could be helpful to our family.
The ideas Howard Glasser shared made sense. We were focused on the challenges, on the black dot. We were giving loving kind energy, to behaviors that we wanted to stop. The energy was actually making the problems worse. We began to use the ideas he shared and we began to see an immediate shift.
Fast forward... This was in 2015. We have been training a residential center, schools, therapists, parents and individuals. The success stories are constant. We are excited and honored to share this powerful gift with all of you!
Naftoli Y. Walfish,
LMSW, LCSW
Naftoli is the founder of Family Enhancement LLC, located in Passaic, NJ. Naftoli has extensive clinical and administrative experience dealing with a wide gamut of clients in group homes, nursing homes and private pr certified by the Children’s Success Foundation. Heactice.
Naftoli is also an Advanced Nurtured Heart Approach Trainer and is was trained directly under Howard Glasser, the founder of NHA. Naftoli combines his past experiences in private practice as well as working in various clinical settings with the principles of the NHA to create successes within families and schools. He guides clients through proper implementation of the approach to create a loving and productive environment allowing increased self-esteem and positive behaviors by both children/students and parents/educators. Naftoli provides the tools for accomplishment and demonstrates how success breeds continued success allowing positivity to flow between parent/teacher and child/student.
Yael Walfish, LCSW
Yael Walfish, LCSW is an experienced social worker with a strong background in providing targeted and effective therapy and case management to children, adolescents and families. She counsels patients dealing with a variety of challenges including mental illness, domestic discord, trauma, abuse and substance abuse. Yael has conducted thousands of assessments for youth in crisis and has developed a keen sense of identifying family strengths as foundations for therapeutic work. This background led her to inculcate the Nurtured Heart Approach in assisting families successfully utilize their strong points as a basis for growth and progress. Yael was trained by Howard Glasser, the founder of the Nurtured Heart Approach and is a certified Advanced NHA Trainer by the Children’s Success Foundation. Her expertise in the Nurtured Heart Approach allows her to use its techniques to create a positive and encouraging relationship between caregiver and child.
