Practice Self-Regulation™ (PS-R) offers resilience-based, trauma-informed intervention programs designed to teach and support participants in making healthy, informed decisions that build learning skills and memory retention while decreasing impulsivity. Created by Joann Schladale, PS-R is tailored for youth who have experienced adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), including those involved in foster care, outpatient therapy, or the juvenile justice system.
PS-R is grounded in current neuroscience and adolescent development research and has been implemented across multiple U.S. states by a broad range of helping professionals. Participants in PS-R report high satisfaction with the program, describing it as useful, helpful, and engaging. Participants gain essential tools to recognize the impact of trauma on their decision-making, explore personal values, and strengthen their ability to regulate emotions and behavior. The intervention emphasizes strength-based, participant-driven learning and encourages future-oriented thinking to promote long-term well-being.
Delivered in eight structured individual session, PS-R programs use Motivational Interviewing as a foundation for exploring a guided workbook and neuroscience-based multisensory activities. A sexual health version has medically accurate information approved by the Federal Medical Accuracy Review Board. The program’s flexible structure allows participants to move at their own pace, select activities that resonate with them, and engage in meaningful conversations with trained facilitators in safe, confidential settings.
Facilitators value its structured approach and adaptability, and many report that it helps normalize important yet difficult conversations around health and relationships. Preliminary studies indicate PS-R improves beliefs about emotional regulation and intent to practice self-regulation. The sexual health program also enhances contraceptive knowledge and intention to practice safer sex.
PS-R is more than a curriculum—it’s a comprehensive therapeutic model that integrates theories of attachment, human ecology, and social learning. By focusing on healing, autonomy, and the development of core life skills, PS-R offers a powerful foundation for adolescents to build healthier futures.
