Upskill your practice with the Possums' evidence-based approach

We're delighted that you're interested in Neuroprotective Developmental Care (NDC), also known as The Possums Programs. If you're a health professional working with parents and their babies/toddlers, you'll find our content highly relevant to your work.

On this page, we will

• Provide you with a free video resource about breastfeeding that we hope might find useful as you work with families.
• Provide you with more information about the course most relevant for providers and educators.
• Showcase two testimonials from doctors who have upskilled with Possums.

Please remember: if you have any questions at any time, don't hesitate to contact our Education Manager, Cathryn Proberts, at education@ndcinstitute.com.au

Cath is also available to set up phone calls should you prefer to speak with her directly.

FREE NDC RESOURCE: New breastfeeding research that could help you and your patients right now

Did you know that there is widespread misonception about how babies breastfeed and draw milk into their mouths? MRI and ultrasound studies show that baby's lips don't need to flange, and baby's tongue doesn't actually move a great deal during suckling, since it just drops down and rises up en bloc in tandem with the jaw. The jaw drop creates a vacuum to draw in milk, and the tongue isn't the main driver of milk transfer, which you may have heard. This research challenges long held assumptions about tongue-tie and latching issues.

Watch this short video to learn more:

At Possums, we teach not just comprehensive help for the whole range of breastfeeding problems, but also the gestalt method of fit & hold, which we find particularly clinically effective for good milk transfer and nipple pain. The gestalt method has been demonstrated to make measurable changes inside baby's mouth.

Where to start with Possums: NDC for Providers & Educators

This thorough, evidence-based online professional development opportunity is designed to support the valuable work of providers and educators that falls outside the scope of health professional practice. NDC for P&E is grounded in Dr Pamela Douglas’ nearly 40 years of clinical experience, and 30+ published peer-reviewed research papers.

The program teaches you to deliver Neuroprotective Developmental Care (NDC) – also known as The Possums Programs – as a provider, to help you confidently support parents navigating:

• Breastfeeding
• Infant sleep
• Infant cry-fuss challenges
• Infant sensory motor development
• Parent mental health & emotional wellbeing

The NDC P&E course includes:

• Pre-recorded workshops and course modules led by:
  • Dr Pamela Douglas, (GP, researcher & founder of Possums],
  • Renee Keogh, RN IBCLCMs
  • Anya Snyder, mental health nurse practitioner
• Clinical demonstration videos with volunteer patients focusing on breastfeeding, sleep, and cry-fuss challenges
• A full digital resource pack: workbooks, flashcards, parent handouts, animations, and more
• Monthly Live Network Hours with NDC Accredited practitioners for case discussion and education

Additional Access & Support

With your course enrollment, you’ll also gain access to:

• The Possums Baby and Toddler Sleep Program
• The Gestalt method of fit and hold for breastfeeding support
• The Possums five-domain approach to cry-fuss problems with visual tools
• Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and Compassion Therapy strategies for perinatal mental health
• Full access to all other Possums parent programs, including the upcoming Possums Breastfeeding and Lactation Program upon release

Benefits of enrollment:

• Access to the P&E Resource Hub (clinical tools, parent handouts, clinical demonstrations, & more)
• Entry into our closed peer support group for Providers & Educators
• Free access to our monthly Guest Speaker Series featuring leading experts across relevant disciplines
• A 50% referral discount for families you support to access our parent-facing programs

Hear about Possums from two NDC Accredited doctors

We're grateful to Dr Kavita Thanakrishna and Dr Gemma Ossolinski for their kind words.

We're also happy to remind you that all (10) university-led research about the effects of the NDC/Possums approach show positive outcomes.

Next steps

Pricing & more (all prices include GST)

• Course Details
• Cost: $475 AUD (incl. GST)
• Format: Online, self-paced + live support & Q&A opportunities
• Enrollment: [Sign up here]
• More info: [Learn more here]

Reminder: should you have any questions at any time, please don't hesitate to contact our Education Manager, Cathryn Proberts, at education@ndcinstitute.com.au - Cath would be delighted to answer any queries you might have.

We hope to welcome you to The NDC Institute and to our movement for change in early life care.