Building Better Brains Australia is the love child of husband and wife team – Sian Chambers-Vallance, (clinical play therapist, creative arts counsellor, consultant and trainer, advocate for child centred, trauma informed and brain wise systems) and Tony Vallance, (secondary teacher nominated for teacher of the year 2018 (VIC) and 2019 (Australia), Founder of Steamworks, trainer, educational consultant, graduate educator coach and passionate advocate for connection based, STEAM and creativity education).
Just as BBB Australia is the bridge between the similar but different work Sian and Tony do to grow capacity and care in the systems they work with, it is also the bridge between the 20+ years of neuroscience and trauma research that needs to start forming the basis of best practice in the systems around our children, and surrounding all human beings.
The mission of Building Better Brains Australia is to help make the world a better place through training, consultancy, education, connection and empowerment. We work to grow capacity and understanding in the systems around the next generation of children in our care – parents, educators and mental health professionals.
We aim to help educational facilities, parents, workplaces and health professionals become more brain wise, trauma informed and child centred in their systems. Through education, connection and empowerment we are stronger together and can grow a more emotionally intelligent generation who can embody future skills such as emotional intelligence, creativity, problem solving and team work (as identified by the World Economic Forum) and embrace resiliency in a highly changeable world.
Through educating people in practical neuroscience, trauma, mindfulness and relationships, we aim to empower parents, educators, mental health professionals and businesses (large and small) with ready to use strategies to enhance relationships, connection, behavioural and productive outcomes.
We believe that every child (and every human being) has the right to receive the best possible support for their academic and social emotional needs. We believe that systemic cultural change, with wellbeing as the foundation, is required to address the growing mental health crisis in our society, where children become the collateral damage of systems that do not necessarily work in a person centred, trauma informed way.
Building Better Brains Australia offers training and consultancy courses and workshops to schools, kindergartens, to educators, parents and caregivers, to mental health professionals, businesses, and to any like minded creatives who want to help grow a better world together!
Workshops and Consultancy Programs include:
Building Better Brains Workshop Series for Parents
Positive Discipline & Filial Therapy (Parent child therapy) Course for Parents
Interpersonal Neurobiology and Play Workshop for Mental Health Professionals
Trauma Smart Schools Program for Educators and Leadership Teams
Brain Wise and Trauma informed Classrooms Workshop
Building Mindful Classrooms and Teacher Self Care Workshop
Building Future World Changers through STEAM engagement
Positive Discipline in the Classroom: Connection before Correction
Creativity and Narrative based learning - Your Brain on Play!
Building a Maker Space in your School
Virtual Reality Immersive Education
New graduates Mentor Support and Growth Coaching Programs
Preventing Burnout - Trauma Smart Workplaces
Programs can be offered online via the zoom conferencing platform of in person.
A bit more about us……
Sian Chambers-Vallance
Clinical play therapist, creative counsellor, consultant and trainer, Parent educator, Yoga and Mindfulness teacher, Brain geek and Play and Creativity Advocate
Sian Chambers-Vallance is the owner and manager of Building Better Brains Australia and Artistic Revolutions (for her clinical work). She is a passionate clinical play therapist and creative counsellor working in private practice and specialising in early trauma and attachment difficulties. She works with children and families in a systemic way and believes that brain based parenting and teacher education and support are key to helping this next generation of children thrive…… along with harnessing the power of play, of course!
Background and qualifications include degrees in Performing Arts and Psychology, Diplomas in Counselling, Mindfulness and Art Therapy, Advanced Graduate Training in Clinical Child Centred Play Therapy, Certified provider of Autplay® Therapy, Cert is Positive Discipline Parenting, plus training in Somatic Experiencing®, Children's Yoga, porge’s safe and Sound Protocol, Sandtray Play Therapy, Dramatherapy, Trauma Sensitive Yoga, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, Attachment, Neuroscience, Trauma in Children and Adolescents, Trauma informed practice, Parent Education, Peaceful/Playful Parenting and Theraplay®.
Sian has spent the last 20 years working with children and families (running creative arts connection programs: music, singing, children’s yoga and mindfulness, brain play sensory exploration, drama and art), using music therapy with dementia clients and elderly groups, creating intergenerational music and creative arts programs in the community, and advancing her knowledge of trauma informed practice and interventions, neuroscience and the developing brain, and attachment play techniques (including Theraplay® for families). Sian is a passionate advocate for play and creativity and is one of the trainers for Play Therapy Australia, presenting to mental health professionals on Interpersonal Neurobiology and the Power of Play nationally and internationally. She was inspired to continue her father, Eric Bottomley’s (OAM) work, (from CERES and Sustainable Schools, Victoria), by helping make the world a better place through education, advocacy and empowerment. Sian has also co-developed the Trauma Smart Classrooms Program with Tony Vallance to help make educators become more child centred, brain wise and trauma informed in their teaching practice.
Sian believes that mental health professionals, educators and parents have the power to consciously evolve the human brain by providing social emotional brain and trauma education and support strategies to help the next generation build better brains.
Tony Vallance
Secondary School Teacher, Finalist for Educator of the Year Victoria, Finalist for Australian Educator of the Year, Drumbeat and Mindfulness Facilitator, STEAMWORKS Founder, Leadership team – curriculum development and STEAM, Teacher trainer, Certified Classroom Educator for Positive Discipline.
Tony Vallance is co-owner of Building Better Brains Australia. He feels that being a teacher is a massive challenge, honour and privilege. Tony believes that ownership and agency are the key to learning and that is why he involves his students in leadership roles in creating, reviewing and implementing initiatives and curriculum. Tony’s passion is to motivate, engage and empower students so that they can apply their skills and confidence to any situation that life throws at them.
Tony’s qualifications and training include: Bachelor Degree Science (Zoology), Post Graduate Diploma of Education, Certified Senior Drumbeat Facilitator, Certified Google Educator, Founder and Curriculum Developer – Steamworks, Lilydale High School, Mindfulness in Schools Facilitator, VR app development Facilitator and Certified Positive Discipline Classroom Educator.
Tony is a finalist for Australian Educator of the Year 2019, a finalist for Outstanding Secondary Teacher of the Year– Victorian Excellence in Education Awards in 2018, is a learning Specialist and Trainer with the Department of Education, created and runs STEAMWORKS at Lilydale High School (a 21st century skills focused department).
Tony is also a Certified Senior Drumbeat Facilitator, Certified Google Educator, Mindfulness in Schools Facilitator and Virtual Reality education development facilitator. He is currently working on a book for new teachers to build capacity for self-care, prevent burn out and is a passionate advocate for relationship-based teaching practices which have consistently yielded him top academic results from his senior students. Tony believes that trauma informed, ConnectED education is key to classroom management and that school culture needs to change to one of student-centred learning and achievement. Maslow’s before Blooms! Connection before Correction!
