The IOIN Pathway is a clinically-informed framework that I authored after experiencing frustration as a parent when I felt unable to be involved in my child’s treatment in a meaningful way, and in my understanding of a mirror of that frustration through my work as a counselor noticing the importance of wrapping parents into their child’s treatment in a way that creates change that reaches the family home.

The problem is not that therapists and counselors lack desire or skill, or that parents want them to “just fix” the child. The problem is that there is not a clear way to conceptualize and understand sensory regulation treatment in mental health care that both guides the provider and equips the parent to sustain the work being done from the play room to the living room.

The IOIN Pathway attempts to provide a solution to that problem and applaudes the work already being done by play therapists and occupational therapists alike. The goal is not to reach a new peak no one has reached, but to synthesize what the research tells us so we can blaze a new trail into a Pathway with a clear map we can all follow.

Could the meltdowns, difficulty at school, and explosive behavior be related to sensory regulation? Learn to Identify when a child’s behavior may have a root in sensory regulation issues. Parents whose children are experiencing sensory sensitivities or seeking behaviors are often using the same language to describe what they’re noticing. Educators are noticing patterns in their classrooms, and pediatricians are sometimes left wondering, “what exactly am I looking at?”.

The Basics of Trail Marker 1 of The IOIN Pathway for Regulation: Identify is your Trail Head.

Available to all, free of charge, and on demand.

An extended version of Trail Marker 1: Identify is included in the Certificate Program, available to licensed mental health professionals.

Once you’ve learned to identify when sensory regulation is the answer to the question, “What’s going on?”, Trail Marker 2: Orient will answer the question, “Now what?”. Counselors and therapists will be equipped to lead parents through the next phase of their journey: orienting to this new diagnosis, and what that will mean for their child and family.

Trail Marker 3: Integrate houses the bulk of the work—with the parents, and with the child. The child and family have a new explanation for experiences that previously felt confusing, and at times shameful. This new explanation must be integrated, or woven into the family narrative as they learn new language and strategies. There is a focus on narrative, somatic, and relational strategies, and the training will map a process that involves individual and dyadic work.

It is important to highlight that IOIN does not constitute Sensory Integration (SI) therapy, nor does it claim to. Training in The IOIN Pathway will clearly indicate when SI therapy is indicated and relies heavily on partnership with OT as part of the ‘Navigate’ Trail Marker.

Trail Marker 4: Navigate is the final phase of The IOIN Pathway. This phase is a sort of torch passing from the treatment provider to the parents. It involves empowering the parent to advocate for the child in school and medical contexts, connecting them to referral partners and continuing support, and equipping them with the tools they need to carry the work forward.

Because the observable behavior of children with sensory processing challenges often looks defiant, anxious, and frustrating, parents and referring providers often begin with seeking mental health care for the child. It is imperative that the mental health field be equipped to identify and ready to respond to the needs of children with sensory dysregulation. The families of these children have unique needs, and working with this population demands a skill-set beyond what we are taught in graduate programs, and even in play therapy-specific training.

The IOIN Pathway for Regulation provides the tools to build that skill-set.

The IOIN Pathway for Regulation Certificate program consists of four modules (we call them Trail Markers): Identify, Orient, Integrate, and Navigate, and culminates with a final Case Study activity.

Our Founding Cohort is gathering now! Participants in the Founding Cohort will receive the full IOIN Pathway training for a discounted price of $297.

• The 3-day intensive modules are live, interactive, and will create a network of support for participants through on-going consultation and access to Founding Cohort events through the first year.

• Participants will receive a Certificate of Completion and a badge for use on websites or online profiles.

• After completion, participants will have the opportunity to add their information to our provider directory, signaling a commitment to providing competent care for families and children with sensory-based dysregulation, and early-commitment to a growing framework.

• Participants in the Founding Cohort will be asked to provide reviews and feedback.

Founding Cohort—$297

July 9-11, 2026

Registration Available Soon!