Susan Hopkins EdD

03/01/2026

We would love for you to join us!

Learn how to share the science of Self-Reg with your colleagues and those you support with Stuart Shanker & Susan Hopkins

02/27/2026

Reframing means stepping back to wonder, what else might be going on here?

02/26/2026

In Shanker Self-Reg®, we speak about the Interbrain - the “wireless” connection between a caregiver’s brain and a child’s brain.

The higher-order brain helps regulate the immature brain that cannot yet self-regulate on its own.

When we pause. When we steady ourselves. When we lend our calm.

That is the Interbrain at work.

Over time, this connection supports not just regulation, but mutual understanding and intimacy across the lifespan.

John Hoffman explores this beautifully here: https://self-reg.ca/words-matter-but-sometimes-the-interbrain-matters-more/

02/25/2026

Grateful to the Halton community for the invitation to speak on When Big Behaviours Show Up last night.

We paused together around a simple but powerful shift: big behaviour is so often a stress signal, not defiance. When we bring soft eyes, we bring hope.

Grateful for your openness and the care you carry for the children in your communities.

- Susan

02/25/2026

I’m so appreciative of Stuart Shanker & Co.'s words here.

When we look at Pink Shirt Day through a lens, we begin to see something deeper. Bullying is not just a social issue - it is a profound source of stress, for the child who is targeted, for the child who is acting out of their own stress, and for the adults striving to help.

Wearing pink can be a small but meaningful act of co-regulation. It signals safety. It signals belonging. It lets a child know: you are not alone. And that sense of connection can help soften the acute stress that bullying creates.

Self-Reg invites us to go beneath the surface - to reduce the stressors where we can, to strengthen relationships, and to respond in ways that calm rather than escalate.

Today is a gentle reminder that when we come together with compassion and understanding, we help create the conditions in which everyone can feel safer and more at ease.

In , we see Day not just as a way of promoting awareness, but also as a mode of self-regulation. It helps us deal with the acute stress caused by all acts of bullying. 👚

[💝 Image via Pink Shirt Day website]

02/25/2026

Today is Pink Shirt Day. 💗

A small gesture - wearing pink - carries a powerful message: you belong here. You matter. Kindness lives here.

I’m so grateful to Northumberland County for creating space for this conversation, and I’m looking forward to gathering in Cobourg this Saturday, February 28th, to continue it together.

If you’d like to join us, you can find the details here:
https://northumberland.ca/event/pink-shirt-day-community-conversation-lunch/

Today, may we wear pink - and may we also carry its meaning gently into the everyday moments that matter most. 💕

In recognition of Pink Shirt Day, Northumberland County Early Years Services is partnering with EarlyON Northumberland, the MEHRIT Centre and local school boards throughout Northumberland, to host a free community […]

02/23/2026

You are often the connection that helps students feel safe enough to regulate, learn, and grow.

02/20/2026

The limbic system is the part of the brain involved in reactive behaviours, strong emotions, urges, and motivation. It initiates the fight-or-flight response and plays a key role in memory formation. Its main structures - the amygdala, hippocampus, hypothalamus and nucleus accumbens - are deeply involved in how we respond to stress and connect with others.

This is where our big feelings live.

Sometimes these reactions catch us off guard - yes, even over something as ordinary as pancakes. When we notice what’s happening in the brain, we can shift from reacting to responding with awareness and care.

If you’d like to read more about that moment, here’s the blog:
https://self-reg.ca/the-time-mom-went-limbic-over-some-pancakes/

02/19/2026

Have you checked out our latest newsletter yet?

There’s something special about pausing to read, reflect, and reconnect with the deeper “why” of this work. In this edition, we share an exciting update, upcoming opportunities to learn together, and a gentle reminder about restoration in the midst of busy days.

If you haven’t seen it yet - or if you’d like future editions delivered straight to your inbox - you can subscribe here:
https://self-reg.us11.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=c52a5f4a89ff8632f0cfd7d72&id=33b75d66b7

02/18/2026

When we talk about Havens, we’re really talking about what we notice when we step into a space and take a breath.

Over time, I’ve found myself returning to five Look-For’s - quiet signs that a Haven is taking shape:

Safe
Rooted
Balanced
Capable
Trusted

For a deeper look at these Look-For’s:
https://self-reg.ca/self-reg-havens/