What you will study
The course is focused on developing an understanding of trauma-informed counselling. The course is organised in six units.
Unit 1: Introduction sets up the course and invites you to consider your current confidence with trauma-informed counselling.
Unit 2: Understanding trauma introduces you to ways of understanding and conceptualising trauma. This includes key definitions, the impact of trauma on the nervous system, and the role of childhood and multiple intersecting factors that can shape a person’s early life experiences and later life health outcomes.
Unit 3: Trauma in context explores trauma in broader social contexts. You'll develop an understanding of the importance of moving beyond the individual and attending to the social context and power relations within which trauma occurs. You'll consider how examining power relations can help us to understand societal oppression, structural inequalities and marginalisation (such as the role of class, racism, and gender). You'll be introduced to intersectionality theory and the Power Threat Meaning Framework as ways of making sense of the role of power in the context of trauma. You'll also examine the social context of therapy itself.
Unit 4: Trauma-informed approaches addresses ways of working safely with trauma. You'll explore trauma-informed principles that can guide your practice. You'll also see how to work safely, manage risk, and work within appropriate boundaries as aligned with your professional ethical framework.
Unit 5: Trauma and you explores the role of, and importance of, self-awareness and self-care when working with trauma. You'll learn about the impacts of working with trauma on the practitioner, including the risks of burnout, compassion fatigue, secondary traumatic stress, and vicarious trauma. You'll reflect on your embodied and psychological responses to working with clients experiencing trauma, and you will reflect on how your own history and potential experiences of trauma may shape how you respond to trauma work. You'll develop an appreciation of mindful self-awareness when doing trauma work; specifically, the role of mindful self-awareness within the therapy relationship, and within yourself. You'll explore your own relationship with self-care, what the research tells us about therapist self-care, and the importance of paying attention to your own needs, as well as those of your clients and the organisations you may work within, when you are working from a trauma-informed lens.
Unit 6: Conclusion invites you to reflect on what you have learnt on the course and identify your further training needs and requirements for working from a trauma-informed lens.
The course aligns with SCOPeD (The Scope of Practice and Education Framework) competencies that are relevant for trauma-informed counselling. Course completion will boost knowledge and confidence and support counsellors and psychotherapists to offer counselling from a trauma-informed lens.
You will learn
By studying this CPD course, you will gain:
- knowledge and understanding of key ways of understanding and conceptualising trauma
- knowledge and understanding of boundaried and ethical approaches to working safely with trauma
- an appreciation of how to reflect on your own responses to trauma including the impact of trauma on the self
- an appreciation of the role of power in trauma-informed counselling
- an ability to recognise issues of Equality, Diversity and Inclusion relevant in the context of trauma-informed practice
- an ability to identify and respond to your own needs in the context of working with trauma
Vocational relevance
This course will support counsellors and psychotherapists to develop an understanding of trauma-informed practice. This course is designed to align to the SCoPEd competencies for working with trauma (Knowledge and Skills, Self-Awareness and Reflection).
Learner support
This short course offers online learning and contains self-study materials to be studied at your own pace. There is no learner support from learning advisers available on this course.