JOIN US ONLINE for a special scheduled class offering*
Alpha Children
this course begins September 30, 2025
Tuesdays 01:00PM - 02:00PM PT
Runs for 4 weeks
Dr. Neufeld sheds light on one of the most maligned and misunderstood dynamics of attachment - hierarchy - and in so doing, paves the way to an attachment dance that is both more natural as well as fulfilling for all involved.
* although students can take this course anytime on their own, this is a special opportunity to benefit from a guided learning experience with Neufeld Institute Faculty. Former and current registrants can enroll in this class for an additional $50 CAD only.
Scheduled Class Details:
📌 Course Start Date: September 30, 2025
⌛ Duration: 4 weeks
🗓️ Tuesdays: 01:00PM - 02:00PM PT
🏷️ Tuition: early bird $135 CAD per person
until Sep 23rd (regular $150)
We invite your participation in this Scheduled Class offering of Alpha Children, an enriched learning experience with Neufeld Institute Faculty Lisa Weiner and Robin Brooks-Sherriff. They will offer a rich tapestry of perspectives, all within the attachment-based developmental approach.
Scheduled Classes combine Dr. Neufeld’s video lectures and supplementary course material with live faculty-facilitated support sessions. These interactive weekly classes are designed to deepen your understanding of Dr. Neufeld's teachings. It is a unique opportunity to join our experienced faculty and other students online to ask questions, discuss key insights, and explore practical applications.
All of the classes are recorded. If you miss a class, you can keep pace with the group by viewing the recordings at your own convenience during the week.
Please note: you will receive access to the course one week before the start date. There will be some material to review before the first class.
Meet our experienced faculty member, who will support you in this course
Nurse & Parent Consultant
Portland, Oregon
Lisa is quite passionate about the alpha dynamic and the challenges it can present for parenting and teaching when a child is stuck in an alpha mode. She comes to this topic with much lived experience and has plenty of stories to illustrate the material presented in the course.
Community Health Nurse
Calgary, Canada
Robin's sense of humour, down-to-earth common sense, and extensive experience working with at-risk adolescents with alpha complexes, makes her an understanding and practical guide through this material. Finding one's alpha, especially is a way that can inspire the other's dependence, is a challenge Robin is quite up to.
COURSE SUMMARY
The alpha and dependent instincts are an essential component of the attachment drive, but very well hidden in today's society because of a lack of supporting language and a blinding preoccupation with independence. This powerful attachment dynamic impacts every relationship: parent-child, sibling-sibling, teacher-student, even our marital relationships. When unrecognized, our reactions to alpha manifestations actually tend to be counterproductive, fuelling the root problem. Because of the widespread ignorance of this dynamic, we are giving rise to an epidemic of alpha children either by making dependence an adverse experience or by putting children in charge where they shouldn't be. Children stuck in alpha instincts are not only more difficult to parent but also prone to a plethora of problems that tend to persist despite our well-intended interventions. An understanding of the alpha dynamic reveals some of the pitfalls of styles of parenting that have become more popular among the educated. It also paves the way to subtle shifts in the dance that can right the relationship, rendering it more fulfilling for both. While the focus is on children, the revelations and challenges are for us as adults.
SUITABILITY/APPLICABILITY
This course has implications and applications for every single relationship, including marriage and friendship, and provides a unique opportunity for self-understanding. The principal focus of the course is children and the primary venues of application have to do with parenting and teaching. This course will be directly relevant to all those involved in raising and teaching children, or supporting those who do.
SAMPLE TOPICS
- the purpose and meaning of alpha and dependent instincts
- the inherent but maligned hierarchy of attachment and its purpose
- what an ideal alpha/dependent dance looks like
- an understanding of an ‘alpha complex’ as deriving from alpha instincts that are stuck
- the many faces of an alpha complex, from benign to the most perverted
- the role of emotion and the flight from vulnerability in the manifestation of alpha instincts
- the primary causes of the alpha instinct and the reasons why today’s children are becoming more alpha
- the role of the alpha complex in various problems including anxiety, oppositionality, elevated frustration, and eating problems
- how stuck alpha can develop into various syndromes like the helper/rescuer syndrome or the bully syndrome
- guidelines for taming the alpha complex and restoring right relationship
COURSE OUTLINE
The course is divided into four sessions, each containing approximately one hour of instructional video by Dr. Neufeld.
- Session 1 - Making Sense of Alpha
This session reveals how the alpha instincts were meant to sensitize us to the needs of others as well as move us to assume responsibility and to care for our offspring. The construct of an alpha complex is introduced. - Session 2 - The Many Faces of Alpha
There are at least five significantly different manifestations of the alpha complex, depending primarily on the person’s flight from vulnerability and perceptions of responsibility. - Session 3 - The Causes and Consequences of an Alpha Complex
The two main causes of an alpha complex are presented with the various conditions and situations leading to this complex. The myriad of problems stemming from an alpha complex are discussed. - Session 4 - Taming an Alpha Complex
Taming an alpha complex involves reversing the conditions that give rise to it. In addition, ten guidelines are given for reclaiming our rightful place in our children’s lives.
Inquiries
If you have questions or require additional information that you cannot find on our website or FAQ page, you may contact our office on our Inquiries page.
Charity & Non-Profit Status
The Neufeld Institute is a registered Canadian charitable organization under the name Neufeld Institute Foundation and is also registered as a NPO in British Columbia. If you would like to make a contribution to us, please go to our donation page.
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