Supporting Children's Social and Emotional Wellbeing Conference
For educators and leaders in education and care. Look beneath behaviour to the feelings and needs behind it, with four presenters in three self-paced sessions.
About this course
For educators who hold children’s big feelings
If children’s big feelings are part of your every day, this conference is for you. You’ll watch four presenters at your own pace.
You’ll hear Trent Savill on responding to children who have lived through complex trauma. With Dr Louise Porter and Sandi Phoenix, you’ll explore emotional development in the early years. With Allison Davies, you’ll see how music helps children regulate.
You’ll finish each session with a reflection booklet that turns what you heard into your next step with children.
Who this course is for
Wherever you work with children
Made for educators and leaders in education and care, with ideas that suit anyone who works with children, of any age and in any setting.
Educators and teachers
In long day care, kindergarten, family day care, outside school hours care, and early years classrooms.
Leaders and directors
Educational leaders, directors, and nominated supervisors who want the whole team using one needs-focused language about behaviour.
Carers, nannies, and youth workers
The same ideas work at home, in out-of-home care, and with young people.
Self-paced onlineThree recorded sessionsFree preview of the welcome lessons
In this course
See the need beneath the behaviour
You’ll explore how to
look beneath behaviour to the needs, skills, and capacities behind it
respond to big feelings in ways that build a child’s trust in you
support children who have lived through complex trauma, starting with the relationship
use music to help children regulate across the day
Why this course
Support children’s social and emotional wellbeing with confidence
Understand what children need
Four presenters from four fields give you four ways of seeing the same child, and the need their behaviour points to.
Respond with confidence on your next shift
Leave with relationship-based responses that strengthen safety, connection, and regulation.
Share one language with your team
Bring a needs-focused language back to your service, so your team can talk about behaviour with clarity and plan together.
Course curriculum
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How to use this platform
FREE PREVIEW -
Student walk through video
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Acknowledgement to Country
FREE PREVIEW -
Agreement
FREE PREVIEW
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Trent Savill
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Complex Trauma and Behaviours Reflection Booklet
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Video Playback: Trent Savill
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Dr Louise Porter and Sandi Phoenix
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Big Feelings Reflection Booklet
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Big Feelings with Dr Lousie Porter and Sandi Phoenix
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Trust Children Poster
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Allison Davies
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Music and the Brain Reflection Booklet
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Video Playback: Allison Davies
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Other Professional and Personal Development Opportunities
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FAQs
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Keep in Touch with the Phoenix Team
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This Is Just The Beginning
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About this course
- $198.00
- 18 lessons
- 4.5 hours of video content
Course content
One day, three sessions, recorded for you
Each session is a recording from the day, with the live audience in the room. Watch them in order, or start with the one you need most.
We’ll explore together
You’ll walk away with
1
Responding to behaviours, with Trent Savill
How children who have lived through complex trauma experience the world, and what helps when their behaviour challenges you.
You’ll walk away with
The Complex Trauma and Behaviours reflection booklet
2
Big feelings, with Dr Louise Porter and Sandi Phoenix
Emotional development in the early years, and what children need from the adults around them when feelings run high.
You’ll walk away with
The Big Feelings reflection booklet and the Trust Children poster
3
Music and the brain, with Allison Davies
Music as a tool for regulation at home and in the classroom, from a music therapist working within a neurodiversity framework.
You’ll walk away with
The Music and the Brain reflection booklet
Finish all three sessions to receive your certificate of completion.
The thinking behind this course
Guidance, therapeutic care, and music for regulation
Each presenter brings a different field to the same question: what does this child need from me right now?
The guidance approach
Dr Louise PorterDr Porter’s work asks adults to teach children to behave considerately, mindful of how their behaviour affects others. You’ll hear it applied to big feelings in session 2.
The Phoenix Cups® framework
Phoenix and Phoenix, 2019An analogy for five universal needs: Safety, Connection, Freedom, Mastery, and Fun. It gives your team a shared language for the need a child might be trying to meet.
Therapeutic care
Trent Savill, Complex CareSince 2004, Trent has worked with children and young people in the child protection system. His session helps you understand how children who have lived through complex trauma experience the world.
Music for regulation
Allison Davies, music therapistA music therapist working within a neurodiversity framework, Allison shows you how to use music as a tool for regulation, at home and in the classroom.
Phoenix, S., & Phoenix, C. (2019). The Phoenix Cups: A Cup filling story. Phoenix Support Publishing.
Social proof: reviews
Inspiring
Suzanne R
Helpful strategies & tips to start understanding wellbeing in Early Childhood
Helpful strategies & tips to start understanding wellbeing in Early Childhood
Read LessPresenters
Director, Complex Care Trent Savill
Trent Savill is a consultant therapist and the Director of Complex Care.
Trent has been working with complex and high-risk young people in the child-protection system since 2004, coordinating residential care, providing consultancy to the Department of Communities (Child Safety) and non-government sector, intensive in-home therapy to children and families, and training to carers and professionals.
Trent’s primary role now involves consulting with different agencies around their most complex/high-risk cases and delivering training around the provision of therapeutic care for Australia’s most vulnerable children and young people.
PhD, MA(Hons), MGiftedEd, DipEd, BA, BIntStuds Dr Louise Porter
Louise Porter, PhD, MA(Hons), MGiftedEd, DipEd, BA, BIntStuds, is passionate about safeguarding children’s self-esteem, promoting their social skills, and supporting their resilience in the face of the challenges that life often raises. Louise advocates for teaching children to behave considerately, being mindful of how their behaviour affects others, rather than what consequences it may earn them. She has taught at university, conducted a private practice for 30 years (now retired), and worked in both mainstream and disability agencies and schools. She has written several books on the guidance approach. Louise is a popular speaker throughout Australia and internationally.
Managing Director, Phoenix Support for Educators Sandi Phoenix
Sandi Phoenix founded Phoenix Support for Educators in 2011 and created the Phoenix Cups® framework, which helps education and care professionals and parents understand children's behaviour and plan for their wellbeing. She began her career supporting children's inclusion in education and care, and has spent more than twenty years supporting educators to foster children's social and emotional learning.
Music Therapist Allison Davies
Working within a neurodiversity framework that favours regulation over intervention, and sharing her lived experience of autism, Allison empowers others to use music as a tool for neuro-regulation at home and in the classroom. Her programs, workshops and speaking events have received international acclaim for their ability to enthrall an audience, deliver lightbulb moments and shift paradigms away from behavioural management and towards brain care.
Quality Areas 1 and 5
NQS alignment
Adding this conference to your professional learning records or your Quality Improvement Plan? You can map it to five NQS Elements across Quality Areas 1 and 5. If you’re a registered teacher, you can also map it to four Focus Areas of the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers. Queensland kindergarten services eligible for Kindy Uplift can link it to priority area 2, social and emotional learning.
Element 1.1.1Approved learning framework
Curriculum decision-making contributes to each child’s learning and development outcomes in relation to their identity, connection with community, wellbeing, confidence as learners and effectiveness as communicators.
Element 1.3.2Critical reflection
Critical reflection on children’s learning and development, both as individuals and in groups, drives program planning and implementation.
Element 5.1.1Positive educator to child interactions
Responsive and meaningful interactions build trusting relationships which engage and support each child to feel secure, confident and included.
Element 5.1.2Dignity and rights of the child
The dignity and rights of every child are maintained.
Element 5.2.2Self-regulation
Each child is supported to regulate their own behaviour, respond appropriately to the behaviour of others and communicate effectively to resolve conflicts.
Focus Area 1.1Physical, social and intellectual development and characteristics of students
Focus Area 4.1Support student participation
Focus Area 4.3Manage challenging behaviour
Focus Area 6.2Engage in professional learning and improve practice
Read the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers on the AITSL site
Priority area 2Social and emotional learning
For Queensland kindergarten services eligible for Kindy Uplift in 2026. Kindy Uplift can fund professional development that builds teacher and educator capability. The department keeps no approved or preferred supplier list.
NQS Element wording from the Guide to the National Quality Framework (ACECQA, 2026). Focus Area codes and titles from the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers (Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership, 2011). Kindy Uplift priority area from the Queensland Government’s Kindy Uplift page, last updated 6 May 2026.
Australian Children’s Education & Care Quality Authority. (2026). Guide to the National Quality Framework. ACECQA. https://www.acecqa.gov.au/nqf/about/guide
Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership. (2011). Australian professional standards for teachers. AITSL. https://www.aitsl.edu.au/resources/australian-professional-standards-for-teachers
Frequently asked questions
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Is this worth my time?
If children's big feelings are part of your day, yes. You'll hear four presenters from four fields, and each session comes with a reflection booklet to help you turn what you heard into practice with your team.
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How long do I have access?
60 days from the day you enrol. We suggest spreading the three sessions over a week.
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Will I get a certificate?
Yes. A certificate of completion is issued automatically through Thinkific when you finish all the content.
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Can I buy for my whole team?
Yes. Each educator needs their own licence, and you can buy several in one checkout. Volume discounts apply automatically: 10% off for 5 to 9 licences, 15% off for 10 to 14, and 20% off for 15 or more. For other bulk arrangements, email [email protected] or call 1300 361 243. You can also see our company packages at https://phoenix-support.thinkific.com/pages/packages
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Can our team share one licence?
One licence covers one learner. The conference can't be shared or screened to a group from a single licence, so each educator's progress and certificate are their own.
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Can we use Kindy Uplift funding?
Possibly, if your service is eligible. In 2026, Kindy Uplift is open to Queensland kindergarten services with Kindergarten Program Provider approval before 30 September 2025 that take part in Free Kindy. It can fund professional development that builds teacher and educator capability. This conference connects to priority area 2, social and emotional learning. The department keeps no approved or preferred supplier list.
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Which professional standards does it link to?
Five NQS Elements across Quality Areas 1 and 5, and four Focus Areas of the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers. The full list is under NQS alignment, above.