This 2 day workshop focuses on understanding and responding to trauma in children and adolescents. It will bring trauma informed practice to life making it relevant, understandable, and actionable whatever your role with children, young people, and their families.

Young people who have experienced a number of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) usually require a more skilled and compassionate level of emotional and behavioural support than their peers. They are often pathologised and mis-diagnosed, and whilst often well intentioned, this can prove to be unhelpful in supporting them to heal from their experiences, meaning traditional management and change strategies utilised by professionals, helpers, educators and carers aren’t always effective (and sometimes make things worse). Traumatised young people are less likely to respond as they often haven’t had the support nor appropriate developmental experiences to be able to understand their emotions and learn to self-regulate.

This workshop will explore the reasons why young people who have experienced trauma and disrupted attachment behave the way they do, with a specific focus on unwrapping a range of evidence-based practical interventions and strategies that can be effective in facilitating positive change.

Some of the specific areas Emma will discuss include:

• Exploring how to support Trauma recovery in your dealings with children, whatever your professional role and the importance of focusing on their intention rather than the behaviour. 
• A deep dive into the Four R’s of trauma informed practice:
  • Realising the prevalence,
  • Recognising the signs,
  • Responding appropriately, and
  • Resisting traumatisation.

• Opening a 'Trauma informed toolbox' full of practical strategies and skills. How to practically utilise them in your work with traumatised children, including techniques for establishing and maintaining effective supportive and compassionate working relationships that facilitate healing, growth and change.

This workshop is informative, interactive, practically focused and fun. It offers opportunities for both professional and personal growth to enable our future generations to flourish.

Dr Emma Woodward is a Child, Educational and Community Psychologist. She completed her Doctorate in Child, Community and Educational Psychology at the Tavistock and Portman NHS Foundation Trust and an undergraduate degree in Experimental Psychology from the University of Sussex. Now living in Auckland, Emma founded the "Child Psychology Service” (a national child psychology practice network). She is a sought-after presenter on a range of child and youth wellbeing topics, and presents with clarity, energy and a practical wisdom that ensures this is a workshop not to be missed for anybody who comes into contact with Traumatised kids as part of their work.