AFCCA Blog Series: Blog 1
By Tanya Eichler
Welcome to the first post in our new blog series, where we'll be exploring what we are discovering while working as a clinician within the AFCCA (Aggression Towards Families and Caregivers in Childhood and Adolescence) family support program. In this initial post, I’ll address the 5 W's—who, what, why, when, and where—to give you a clear picture of what to expect.
Who am I?
I’m a therapist based in Ottawa, managing a private practice and serving as one of the clinical leads for Interwoven Connections across Ontario. I am also an adoptee and the mother of two young men in their early 20s. My professional journey has included work with child protection agencies in British Columbia and extensive support for children and families within the disability sector. For the past 15 years, I’ve focused on helping individuals with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) and other neurodiversities. My experience and training have deepened my understanding of attachment, trauma, and the healing potential of relationships. I have also learned to address trauma by looking at the whole person, from the sensory system as well as the nervous system and from the bottom of the brain-up. At Interwoven Connections we use the lens of Polyvagal Theory and Non-Violent Resistance (NVR) to support caregivers dealing with AFCCA. Over time, I’ve cultivated a sense of humor and gathered numerous stories that have taught me the importance of curiosity and listening to the nuances behind behaviors.
What will this blog be about?
For some background information about this blog, I recommend checking out the AFCCA consortium website here https://www.afcca-apfea.ca/. Our AFCCA program emerged from insights gained through the consortium study, the full definition of AFCCA can be explored there. Previously, aggression towards caregivers was often hidden in our society, but the COVID-19 pandemic highlighted this issue as many supports were disrupted and stress levels soared. Our program is pioneering in its focus on supporting caregivers managing AFCCA within their homes. We exclusively work with adoptive families in Ontario, encountering specific patterns such as early childhood trauma, adoption trauma, and a notable number of children with prenatal exposure to substances or high levels of maternal stress and generational trauma. We quickly identified over 600 affected families, revealing that AFCCA is far more prevalent than any of us imagined.
Why am I writing this blog?
My aim is to shed light on the complexities of AFCCA and provide insights that we have observed and learned in the past two years of our program. The topic of aggression from children towards their parents can be daunting and uncomfortable and often leads to misplaced blame on parents, particularly mothers. Our discomfort with the idea that children can be aggressive to their family makes us want to use that blame to simplify the reason for the aggression. However, we’re discovering that the underlying causes of AFCCA are intricate and multifaceted. We want to share what we are learning so we can help validate what people are experiencing as well as inform the systems and supporters around them. By approaching this issue with compassion, curiosity, and without judgment, we can gain valuable insights into what is needed for the individual, the family and societal systems. While it might seem idealistic, I believe that addressing AFCCA with care and empathy could help us learn valuable information about ourselves and our society that could promote healing culturally and relationally. I invite you to be open and curious about this perspective as we delve deeper into the subject.
When and Where can you follow this blog?
We plan to release a new blog post each month as part of our newsletter and will also live on our website. I anticipate writing at least ten posts, so I hope you’ll join us on this journey. Your feedback and questions are highly encouraged. Please note that these posts will reflect my personal observations and discussions with families and colleagues, rather than formal research—though I will specify if research is included. This is a work in progress, and I’m sharing my experiences from the midst of learning, not from a place of complete knowledge.
See you next month!