Support for Challenging Student Behaviors
Life Space Crisis Intervention Certification Workshop

Register now – only 32 openings available each session
Iowa ASCD – Events Tab

Overview and Learning Outcomes to print

This certification training provides carefully structured theoretical and applied instruction in crisis intervention skills for use in reclaiming children and youth involved in patterns of self-defeating behavior. Life Space Crisis Intervention (LSCI) applies to troubled and at-risk students in various education settings. The training provides 27 specific competencies for using the crisis as a teaching and therapeutic opportunity with students showing six different patterns of self-defeating behavior.

Did you attend Teach to Heal?  Follow-up with attending this certification.

Attendance at this training certifies an individual to use the strategies. It does not allow a participant to train on Life Space concepts or materials.

Upcoming Certification Training Offerings  -each 4.5 days.
-- June 16-20, 2025 - 4.5 days - Ottumwa - Facilitated by Danielle Theis Link to details
-- July 14-18, 2025 - 4.5 days Cedar Rapids- Facilitated by Dani Nystrom & Tara Maxwell  Link to details
-- June 15-18, 2026  - 4.5 days Storm Lake area
-- July 13-17, 2026   - 4.5 days Des Moines area

Registration fee:  $1,000 and includes the required materials & book ($175 value) and one-year membership in Iowa ASCD.
Register Today! Link to Registration

                   Attention: **School Counselors who are members of Iowa State Education Association (ISEA),
                  will have their registration fee covered including lodging and license renewal credit through the                        Ross Trust Reserve Funds.

*Benefit for Other ISEA Members - ISEA Members attending with their building or district School Counselor who is also an ISEA Member, will have their registration fee covered including lodging and license renewal credit through the Ross Trust Reserve Funds.
Register and enter ISEA in the PO blank.

Credit options (Free for ISEA Member School Counselors who complete the paperwork)

• Iowa License Renewal credits through ISEA Academy
• 3 Graduate Credits - Augustana College - $300 –through Danielle Thies. (School Counselors who are ISEA members can be reimbursed through Ross Trust)

July Life Space Facilitators:  Dani Nystrom & Tara Maxwell

Facilitator Dani Nystrom, Senior Trainer for Life Space
Dani Nystrom is a dedicated educator with 17 years of experience, including 12 years in special education. She holds a Master’s in Special Education. Over the last seven years, Dani has partnered with Danielle Theis to advance trauma-responsive practices; implementing Teach to Heal concepts and utilizing Life Space Crisis Intervention (LSCI), leading to significant improvements in students' self-regulation, engagement, and academic performance. Transitioning from the classroom to focus on empowering educators, Dani serves as a Teach to Heal consultant and trainer and a Senior Trainer in LSCI. She is passionate about equipping educators with trauma-responsive and child-centered strategies, fostering their ability to make lasting impacts in the lives of vulnerable children. Her dedication to professional growth reflects her unwavering commitment to supporting educators and driving transformative change.

Facilitator Tara Maxwell, Senior Trainer for Life Space
Tara Maxwell  brings over 25 years of experience working with individuals with disabilities in a variety of settings, including group homes, family homes, community centers, therapeutic residential treatment programs, and Federal Setting I-IV school environments. Tara has served as a Life Space Crisis Intervention trainer for 6 years, and has worked closely with Danielle Theis for over 10 years. She holds a Master’s in Educational Leadership and a Bachelor’s in Special Education.  Over the past 12 years, she has focused on supporting students with emotional and behavioral disorders, autism spectrum disorders, and cognitive disabilities in educational settings. Tara’s approach emphasizes trauma-informed care, relationship-based interventions, and empowering both students and staff through the Teach to Heal model and Life Space Crisis Intervention (LSCI). As a Teach to Heal consultant, she collaborates with educators and administrators to promote meaningful, sustainable change, providing coaching and training on trauma-responsive practices to foster student success and system-level improvement. 

June Life Space Facilitator

Facilitator: Danielle Theis, Master Trainer of Life Space and National Consultant on Mental Health   danielletheisconsulting.com     teachtoheal.org

Danielle Theis has been working successfully with youth who experience mental health and behavioral challenges since 1990. Through her development of Teach to Heal, she prides herself in assisting schools with a systemic approach to support mental health and the impact of trauma. Danielle is a licensed psychotherapist, Director of Special Education, and K-12 Principal. Danielle has served as an Educational Administrator for 23 years. Danielle is one of 30 Master Trainers for Life Space Crisis Intervention in the world. The Minnesota Department of Education acknowledges her as an expert in reducing restrictive procedures and working effectively with children who display significant behavioral challenges. Danielle provides consultation and training to support children experiencing mental health and behavioral challenges and the adults who serve them in our schools and communities.

Questions?

Dr. Susan Pecinovsky    specinovsky0820@gmail.com
Stan Newton  snewton@ghvschools.org
Colleen Heinz, ISEA  Colleen.Heinz@isea.org
Registration questions: Becky Martin  rjmartin@mchsi.com