About Professional Training & Development

As a leading resource on early child development, our professional training emboldens the community to be further mindful of children and their healthy development. CDI provides professional trainings and consultations to organizations, professionals and schools who work with young children. We train in multiple topics related to early child development. We also offer clinical internship programs for Mental Health, Speech Therapy and Occupational Therapy.

CDI’s well established professional training program facilitates meaningful trainings throughout Los Angeles County. We customize trainings for each organization’s needs and desired outcomes making each training experience unique and interactive. Our training style is a combination of lecture, reflection and interactive activities as well as providing information in a variety of mediums including in-person and online training options.

Current Training Opportunities

Experienced

For over 23 years, CDI has been a leader in early child development focused on Strengthening Families and Communities.

Interactive & Reflective

CDI trainings are unique and interactive, using a Reflective Practice approach to advance participants beyond the typical experience of a one-day seminar.

Relationship Focused

Our trainings emphasize the value of building adult capacities and strengthening families by creating meaningful relationships in order to create lasting impact on the lives of the families and professionals we serve.

CDI’s customized trainings are ideal for all professionals working with young children, such as:

  • Early Child Care Providers
  • Educators
  • Mental Health Professionals
  • Child Welfare Professionals
  • Pediatric Health Professionals
  • Community Development Organizations

To learn more about CDI’s Professional Training Program, contact Laura Counts, MA, LMFT, Training Program Specialist at (818) 888-4559 ext. 2015 or by email lcounts@cdikids.org.

CDI’s professional training is provided in a variety of mediums

Interactive In-Person Training

Researched-Based Materials

Online Training

Coaching and Consultation

Our Reflective Practice Approach

Bring Child Development Institute’s more than 23 years of experience in professional training and coaching to your organization. We customize training for YOUR needs and desired outcomes. Come experience our unique and interactive style as we engage in a Reflective Practice approach.

CDI trainers model a strength-based approach and use the concept of the parallel process to help participants understand the impact their actions can directly have on children. In our trainings, we emphasize the value of building adult capacities and strengthening families by creating meaningful relationships.

Reflective Supervision

CDI provides reflective supervision for professionals working in the field of early childhood.  CDI’s team of licensed clinicians and trainers hold the California Center Endorsement for  IFECMHS Reflective Practice Facilitators.

CDI provides specialized training in a variety of topics in the following fields:

  • Attachment
  • Atypical Development
  • Challenging Behaviors
  • Cultural Humility
  • Developmental Screenings
  • Early Child Development
  • Early Intervention
  • Infant Mental Health
  • Interpersonal Neurobiology
  • Professional Development
  • Reflective Practice
  • Resilience
  • Strengthening Families & Protective Factors
  • Transdisciplinary Intervention Practices
  • Trauma-Informed Care

    Contact Us


    CASA LA has partnered with CDI’s Professional Training department since 2011. At CASA LA, we advocate for children in foster care. We were seeking specialized knowledge and training for our staff and volunteers regarding early childhood development to work with kids ages 0 to 5. We reached out to Child Development Institute. Our partnership began as an experiential train the trainer model and has evolved into a community-based partnership. This training is extremely useful for not just our organization but also many others. We highly recommend the CDI team.

    – Lauri Halderman
    Senior Program Coordinator for CASA LA