Founder & Executive Director
TBRI® Practitioner
Making Sense of Your Worth Facilitator
Parenting for Positive Self Worth Facilitator

Barbara was immediately captivated when she first learned about trauma care and TBRI®. A few years later, she became a TBRI® Practitioner, driven by a deep conviction to share the life-changing tools she had discovered. She sensed the Lord calling her to start a nonprofit—but she hesitated, asking, "Lord, do you know how old I am?" Despite her doubts, she couldn’t ignore the call, and Made 4 Connection was born. Barbara loves leading our team and equipping parents, teachers, and professionals with the tools of TBRI® that have profoundly impacted her own life. She and her husband, Phil, have three grown daughters, two sons-in-law, two grandchildren, and a crew of grandcats. She loves reading, biking, kayaking, evenings around the firepit, barbecues, and spending time with her family—doing just about anything.

Director of Operations
TBRI® Practitioner
Making Sense of Your Worth Facilitator
Parenting for Positive Self Worth Facilitator

Joy is a mom of two who knows firsthand the highs and lows of parenting. Her passion for attachment and belief in the power of safe, connected relationships led her to join Made 4 Connection. After working in nonprofits, schools, community mental health, and private practice, Joy saw how transformational TBRI® could be—not just for kids, but for whole families. She became a TBRI® Practitioner and joined this organization because she believes so strongly in its life-changing impact. Joy holds a Master’s in Professional Counseling and strives to bring both warmth and clinical insight to her work. Her Christian faith shapes how she sees people—with dignity and worth. She lives in New Kent with her husband, Nate, and their two children. When she’s not working, this country girl loves exploring the woods with her kids, singing, baking, and finding joy in everyday moments.

Family Services Coordinator
TBRI® Practitioner
Making Sense of Your Worth Facilitator
Parenting for Positive Self Worth Facilitator

Lauren first discovered TBRI® while working in residential care, but it wasn’t until she saw its impact on her own family that it truly clicked. In early 2024, she and her husband Will completed TBRI® training with Made 4 Connection and began using the strategies consistently at home—transforming their family life. As a former foster mom and now a parent to both adopted and biological children, Lauren is passionate about helping other families understand and meet their kids’ needs through TBRI®. She and Will are a team in parenting their four children and love doing life together in Norfolk, VA. When she’s not supporting families or keeping up with her energetic crew, you’ll find her at the beach, on a walk, reading, or enjoying an iced coffee.

Director of Education
TBRI® Practitioner
Making Sense of Your Worth Facilitator
Parenting for Positive Self Worth Facilitator

Melissa Nystrom is a TBRI® Practitioner with Made 4 Connection, dedicated to helping families and professionals support children through trauma-informed practices. With a background in nonprofit leadership, early childhood education, and coaching, she equips caregivers, educators, and organizations with tools that build trust, connection, and healing. As a former military spouse, mom of two, and foster parent, Melissa brings lived experience and deep empathy to her work. She has a special heart for families formed through foster care, adoption, guardianship, and kinship. Whether leading a training or encouraging a parent one-on-one, her mission is to create environments where children feel safe, valued, and understood—and where caregivers feel confident and supported.

Family Night Coordinator

Molly Dempster is the Family Night Coordinator at Made 4 Connection, where she brings a unique blend of compassion, organization, and lived experience to her role. A mom of two, Molly understands firsthand the joys and challenges of caregiving, which fuels her commitment to supporting families and children in meaningful ways. At Made 4 Connection, she plays a key role in bringing Family Night to life—coordinating schedules, supporting staff and volunteers, and helping create a space where both kids and caregivers feel welcomed and supported. Whether she’s managing logistics behind the scenes or encouraging the team on the ground, Molly is all in when it comes to fostering connection and creating environments where healing can happen, one thoughtful detail at a time.

TBRI® Practitioner in Training

Tananda is a wife to Darius and soon-to-be adoptive mom to two always-busy kiddos. As a TBRI® Practitioner-in-training, she is passionate about helping children and families thrive.

Tananda joined the Made 4 Connection team because she has lived the journey. Born in Virginia and adopted into a family with five other children, she understands the importance of connection, belonging, and having a safe place to call home. After experiencing infertility, she and her husband became foster parents and have spent the past 10 years caring for children from different backgrounds and experiences.

Over the years, they’ve seen the effects of trauma through the eyes of the children they’ve welcomed into their home. Those experiences have deepened their desire to make their home a place where children can feel safe, loved, seen, and free to just be kids.

When she’s not serving families, speaking, or mentoring, Tananda enjoys singing, spending time with her family, and baking something sweet.