Westview Continues to Lead with TBRI

Trust-Based Relational Intervention (TBRI)® has achieved world-wide recognition as a leading evidence-based method of working with children. Westview began working with TBRI early in its history; today we keep growing with the program.

In 2006, Dr. Ron Bruner, Westview’s Executive Director, first met Dr. Karyn Purvis from Texas Christian University (TCU) and listened to her presentations on “Brain Research with At-Risk Youth.” He shared this information with Westview staff, aware that Dr. Purvis planned to publish her work soon.

In 2007, Dr. Purvis and her peers at published “The Connected Child” with McGraw-Hill. This book clearly laid out strategies to help parents cope with challenging parenting issues. Bruner bought a copy of the book for every Westview caregiver.

Essentially TBRI empowers:
•better and trustful bonding between child and parent (and other adults)
•improved management of learning and behavioral issues
•loving discipline that avoids the child perceiving the adult to be threatening or unsafe.

During the summer of 2011, TCU offered training for trainers of TBRI. Westview sent two team members: Terry Owens and Shiann Metheny. When they returned, they immediately began training Westview team members in this method. It has powerfully affected our work. Since TBRI is often counter-intuitive to how many understand parenting, it is a gradual shift of culture and practice that requires a great deal of intentionality. Every Westview caregiver since has received ongoing TBRI training as a part of their work.

In the spring of 2016, Dr. Purvis passed away but her peers and students have continued her work. TBRI has become an increasingly helpful tool for counselors, teachers, parents, foster parents and caregivers.
Westview Continues to Lead With TBRI