PA Peace Alliance Webinar Series: De-escalation with Dignity – Trauma-Informed Strategies to Support Youth in Crisis

When young people are escalated or overwhelmed, our response can either create space for safety and connection—or make it harder for them to come back to center. This webinar will focus on trauma-informed de-escalation, centering regulation—not control—as the goal. Drawing from Daniel J. Seigel’s “Window of Tolerance and Bruce Perry’s “Three Rs” framework (Regulate, Relate, Reason), participants will gain tools to recognize nervous system responses and practice strategies to support youth in regulating themselves.

This webinar will be led by WestEd's own Dr. Theresa Pfister. Her experience in K-12, non-profit, and higher education settings position her at the intersection of research and evaluation and technical assistance. Her work at WestEd spans qualitative research, school climate, social-emotional learning, trauma-informed schools, school-based mental health, and equity in education.

Theresa earned a bachelor’s degree in English Literature from Pomona College, a Masters in teaching from Relay GSE, and a PhD in Educational Psychology-Applied Developmental Science from the University of Virginia’s School of Education and Human Development. Her work has been published in peer-reviewed journals including Applied Developmental Science and The Journal of Early Adolescence, as well as practitioner-facing magazines such as ASCD's Educational Leadership and UC Berkeley's Greater Good.