The Center for Connection

10/24/2025

TODAY is the day! 🎃👻

Join the CFC today for our 4th Annual Inclusive "TRUNK OR TREAT" — where the ghosts are friendly, the treats are plentiful, and the vibes are sensory-friendly! 💜🍬🍂

🗓 Friday, October 24, 2025
🕓 4:30–6:30 PM
📍 3030 E Colorado Blvd., Pasadena, CA

👻 🎃 👻 🎃 👻 🎃 👻

SCHEDULE AT A GLANCE:
4:30 pm -- Trunk or Treat doors open
4:40 pm -- Voiceover demonstration by Voiceover with Michael
5:00 pm -- Music singalong with Miss Harriet
5:30 pm -- Martial arts demonstration with Coco Atama & friends
6:00 pm -- Dance activities with Spectrum Dance Co
6:15 pm -- K-Pop Demon Hunters dance party with CFC staff
6:30 pm -- Trunk or Treat event ends

✨✨ WHAT ELSE IN STORE? 🎃 👻
✔️ Trick-or-treating fun
✔️ Games, music & stories
✔️ Entertainment
✔️ Inclusive activities
✔️ Smiles for every little ghoul and goblin
✔️ And yes... it’s FREE! 🥳

This event is specially designed with neurodivergent children and their families in mind. That means a welcoming, judgment-free space where everyone can be themselves. 🦇💫

BIG THANK YOU to all of our co-sponsors and we can't wait to see you there! 🧡

https://www.thecenterforconnection.org/events/trunk-or-treat

10/22/2025

Get ready for a spooktacular Halloween! 🎃 Parties, events, and activities abound, but they’re not always accessible or inclusive for neurodivergent and disabled kids and their families.

That’s where we come in! 😉 Join us for our 4th Annual Inclusive Trunk-or-Treat on October 24, 2025, in Pasadena! 🦇 It’s a FREE event for our community and you can expect a sensory-friendly experience with treats, games, entertainment, and more!

To further help you plan a stress-free, fun Halloween for your child, check out these expert tips from Kira Bender, our occupational therapist at The Center for Connection, who’s a pro at supporting neurodivergent kids and their families.

View the photos or click the link below for Kira’s game-changing advice to make this spooky season unforgettable! 🎃🧡

https://www.thecenterforconnection.org/blogarchive/2025/10/10/spooky-season-tips-for-neurodivergent-amp-disabled-kids-and-families

10/21/2025

You're invited!! 🎃👻 Join the CFC this Friday for our 4th Annual Inclusive Trunk or Treat — where the ghosts are friendly, the treats are plentiful, and the vibes are sensory-friendly! 💜🍬🍂

🗓 Friday, October 24, 2025
🕓 4:30–6:30 PM
📍 3030 E Colorado Blvd., Pasadena, CA

✨ What’s in store?
✔️ Trick-or-treating fun
✔️ Games, music & stories
✔️ Entertainment
✔️ Inclusive activities
✔️ Smiles for every little ghoul and goblin
✔️ And yes... it’s FREE! 🥳

This event is specially designed with neurodivergent children and their families in mind. That means a welcoming, judgment-free space where everyone can be themselves. 🦇💫

Stay tuned for more hauntingly fun updates... We can't wait to see you there! 💀🧡

https://www.thecenterforconnection.org/events/trunk-or-treat

10/17/2025

As part of our First Monday staff training, CFC Founder Dr. Tina Payne Bryson, New York Times best-selling author, led a thought-provoking session on navigating VUCA times—volatility, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity. 🌊

In these chaotic moments, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed and depleted. Our brains thrive on predictability and certainty, keeping our nervous systems regulated so we can think clearly, make decisions, and respond flexibly.

But in a VUCA world, constant uncertainty can impact us physically, emotionally, and cognitively. So, how do we stay calm, clear, and resilient? How do we show up for ourselves and others when life feels out of control?

Click the link below to explore the science of our interconnected nervous systems and the power of co-regulation. (And stay tuned for a follow-up post with ideas our team brainstormed to help us thrive in chaos!)

https://www.thecenterforconnection.org/blogarchive/2025/8/6/first-monday-trainings-september-b3yy6

09/24/2025

We want to acknowledge that yesterday’s comments regarding the alleged link between Tylenol and autism are confusing, misleading, and harmful for those in the autistic community and their families.

We support an individual’s autonomy to make decisions about their pregnancy in consultation with a trusted physician, drawing on the best available, research-based evidence.

At the same time, we stand firmly with the autistic community. As a neuroaffirming organization, we honor and celebrate autistic individuals and their families, and we reject messages that stigmatize, blame, or pathologize neurological differences. Our commitment is to support our community with compassion, care, and accurate resources, while staying attentive to issues that affect the families we serve.

If you have questions about medical decisions, please talk with your healthcare provider. If you are looking for understanding, support, and connection, we are here—and we encourage you to also reach out to an autistic friend, neighbor, or a pregnant loved one who may have been impacted by this conversation. Now is the time to stand together, listen with empathy, and respond with care. 💙

09/13/2025

Be sure to sign up for this FREE event scheduled on Tuesday, September 23rd! Sponsored by Young and Healthy - Pasadena, this parenting support workshop is specially designed for those impacted by the Eaton fire. Let's come together as a community to strengthen resilience, nurture connection, and provide steady support to our kids, even when life feels overwhelming. Spaces are limited so register today to save your seat:

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-power-of-showing-up-el-poder-de-estar-presente-tickets-1542563451809

Join me on September 23, 2025, for a free community event focused on building resilience—in our children, ourselves, and each other. Everyone is welcome!

This special parent support talk is tailored for families impacted by the Eaton fires and made possible through a generous grant from Pasadena’s own Young & Healthy—one of my favorite organizations in the world.

About this talk:

Life is busy, and parenting can be full of questions, challenges, and emotional moments. Whether you’re navigating grief, mental health concerns, or everyday behavior struggles, you’re not alone—and you don’t have to be perfect.

In this warm and engaging talk, Dr. Tina Bryson will offer simple, research-backed strategies to help you support your child in any moment. She’ll introduce the power of helping kids feel the “Four S’s”: Safe, Seen, Soothed, and Secure—a framework that can guide you not just in difficult times, but every day.

Through relatable stories, humor, and practical tips, Dr. Bryson will help you build resilience in your child, strengthen your connection, and offer a steady presence—even when parenting feels hard.

✨ This event is completely free.
🗓 September 23, 2025
📍 Pasadena, California

🔗 Click the link below to learn more and register.

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-power-of-showing-up-tickets-1542563451809

09/12/2025

Feeling incredibly grateful for this week’s presentation on “Whole-Brain Integration in Trans and Nonbinary Youth” from Caroline Carter, PsyD, and Noelle Wittliff, LMFT. 🙏✨

This enlightening session (based on ideas from their forthcoming book 📗) helped our interdisciplinary team explore how early experiences—especially in relationships—shape a child’s developing sense of identity. 💡💖

Caroline and Noelle shared powerful clinical reflections, tools, and strategies that illuminated how experiences like gender dysphoria and minority stress can disrupt integration—and how attuned, brain-based support can foster healing and coherence. 🧠💫

This training was part of our monthly team development series, led by CFC Founder, Dr. Tina Payne Bryson. 🌱 If you caught last month’s blog, you’ll recall her inspiring reminder that “connection is protection”—and that includes connection to self. 🌟

Check out our website for key takeaways that can help both clinicians and caregivers. And be sure to follow and for more insights and inspiration! ❤️

🔗 www.thecenterforconnection.org/blog

08/28/2025

🎤 Spotlight on Connection!
At The Center for Connection, our work doesn’t stop at the therapy room—we’re out in the community sharing knowledge, building bridges, and supporting organizations with expert-led presentations and trainings. ✨

Whether it’s a podcast, panel, or professional training, our team of passionate clinicians brings insight and inspiration to every stage and screen.

📚 Curious about how to bring a CFC speaker to your organization? Or want to see what trainings are coming up next? Keep reading—there’s so much more to explore. ⬇️

https://www.thecenterforconnection.org/cfc-speaking1

08/26/2025

🚨 We’re Hiring! 🚨
Are you a therapist passionate about working with young children and their families? We’re looking for an Early Childhood & School-Age Mental Health Therapist to join our interdisciplinary team here at The Center for Connection! 💛

🧠 You’ll be part of a collaborative, welcoming, and brain-based environment led by Dr. Tina Payne Bryson, NYT best-selling author of THE WHOLE-BRAIN CHILD and NO-DRAMA DISCIPLINE.

✨ Perks include:
✔️ Competitive pay
✔️ Beautiful, personalized office space in Pasadena
✔️ Ongoing training & mentorship from Dr. Bryson + our diverse team
✔️ CE funds + materials stipend
✔️ Medical, disability & life insurance
✔️ Clinical supervision, if needed

📍Licensed in CA? Or pre-licensed with a year of experience? We’d love to hear from you.

🗓️ Apply by this Friday, August 29, 2025
📲 More info + apply at our link in bio or via our website: thecenterforconnection.org/jobs

08/25/2025

What do you get when your monthly team meeting is led by a New York Times best-selling author? ✨

At CFC, our founder Dr. Tina Payne Bryson brings brain science, heart, and hands-on learning to help our team grow together and deepen our work.

This month’s training? A powerful game-based experience that had us thinking deeply about development, stress, and support.

Get a behind-the-scenes peek on the blog! ⬇️

https://www.thecenterforconnection.org/blog

(And thanks to for the great quote!!)