In-person and virtual classes are now open for registration!

Our Mission —
To promote connection, hope and healing for those impacted by relational trauma

Our Vision —
To realize a world in which all relational trauma is healed 

“When you connect to the heart of a child, everything is possible.”

– Dr. Karyn Purvis

What We Do

Children and teens who have experienced trauma or deep wounds can have special challenges that often leave both child and caregivers confused and frustrated — without hope. At Made 4 Connection we want to help and support those families.

We teach a trauma care model called Trust-Based Relational Intervention (TBRI®), a parenting intervention created and developed by Dr. David Cross and Dr. Karyn Purvis at Texas Christian University’s Karyn Purvis Institute of Child Development. TBRI® helps caregivers understand the impact of trauma on the brain and body, and teaches them strategies to connect with the child emotionally and to disarm fear-based behaviors.

There is hope.

Because we are all Made 4 Connection.

  • “As house parents to aged-out teen orphans, we had many unanswered questions. Now we have found the answers through TBRI. I am grateful for Barbara and the work she does. She helps us approach each situation individually and she really wants to help. I appreciate that she continues to study and shares resources and examples so that we can do our work better. I want to follow her example in my work.”

    — Tonya, Ukraine

  • “From the moment we began talking, I realized that Barbara understood the special challenges I faced related to my adopted son, and I didn’t have to make excuses for my feelings. This was the first time I’d shared my deepest thoughts and not felt judged and misunderstood. With the perfect balance of conviction and gentleness, she challenged me to view our story differently. My son’s behavior didn’t change overnight, but my perspective did. She was well equipped with resources and suggestions, she was faithful to follow-up and was readily available for questions. After my first meeting with her, our family is entirely different. My son and I both feel safer now and our attachment continues to improve.”

    — Amy, Virgina

  • “We greatly benefited from our time in the TBRI workshop. Barbara not only knows the material well, she is clearly passionate about the subject. In addition, she was able to walk us through specific scenarios applying to TBRI which was the most helpful part. We are excited to complete the next training session! We both feel we have met not only an excellent counselor, but also a compassionate friend.”

    — Dan & Carol, North Carolina

  • “TBRI has taught us so many things, and in a very short time we saw visible changes in our foster family. The children are friendlier, they play much better with one another, they have learned to ask for forgiveness for their misdeeds, and they try to obey the first time. Conflicts are minimized and they help one another.”

    — Ira, Belarus

  • “I loved that [Barbara] shared [her] experiences and real life situations. I liked the pacing of the training. I never felt overwhelmed with information. I got just enough, was able to think about and process it and then recieve more. I am so happy I was a part of this. I will forever be practicing and honing these skills. Thank you for sharing your knowledge and love of doing what is best for children.”

    — Nikki, North Carolina

  • “TBRI® is the practical parenting handbook I always wished for. The clarity, understanding, and compassion it brings to my relationships with my kids—birth and foster—has been incredible.”

    —Brynn, Virginia

We provide the TBRI® Caregiver Training to birth parents, foster and adoptive parents, kinship caregivers, clinicians, social services professionals, teachers–anyone who cares for children.

We provide Coaching for those individuals who already have TBRI® training and need further personal support.

“You cannot lead a child to a place of healing if you do not know the way yourself.”

— Dr. Karyn Purvis

What is TBRI®?

TBRI® is an attachment-based, trauma-informed intervention that is designed to meet the complex needs of vulnerable children.  TBRI® uses Empowering Principles to address physical needs, Connecting Principles for attachment needs, and Correcting Principles to disarm fear-based behaviors.  While the intervention is based on years of attachment, sensory processing, and neuroscience research, the heartbeat of TBRI® is connection.