Trauma-Informed Practice Training: Foundations

F or additional training dates for this workshop and other Trauma-Informed & Resiliency-Informed Practice Training workshops, please see:

** Please note - this training is limited to a maximum of 24 participants

WORKSHOP DETAILS:

DATE: Sunday, September 14, 2025

TIME: 9AM am to 12:45PM PST- Pacific Time (US and Canada).

ONLINE ( Using Zoom. Participants will be sent Zoom link 48 hours prior to the workshop start time)

This is a Foundational/introductory trauma-informed practice training workshop open to all. It is suitable for anyone interested in increasing their understanding of a growing body of trauma-informed knowledge and research.

Certificate of completion will be provided.

Background:

This strength-based introductory workshop, adapted from a series of Trauma-informed Practice trainings for health care professionals, provides an easy to understand, practical and useful understanding of these same key concepts for the general public. Today, in the midst of distressing news events, the impacts of the Covid19 pandemic, and increasing societal and individual polarization, it is more important than ever to gain an understanding of the components of psychological trauma and trauma healing. Psychoeducation is a critically important tool for healing, increasing emotional awareness, and building resilience.

Inherent in the experience of psychological trauma are feelings of overwhelming helplessness, a profound lack of safety, uncertainty, and disconnection: whether it be from self, other and/or the world. Our nervous system has adaptively evolved to respond, often below the level of conscious awareness, to threats in the service of survival, and to interpret certain feelings, bodily sensations, experiences, and feelings of isolation and disconnection as a potential neurobiological threats. Research also shows a direct correlation between our levels of emotional dysregulation with higher levels of 'threat bias', impacting how we view and interpret the world around us. This in turn, can perpetuate the body's instinctive defense mechanisms, and cycles of dysregulation, often leading to ongoing suffering and/or re-traumatization.

Increasing our understanding of trauma, and the body's natural defense mechanisms in the face of threat, both real and perceived, are critically important components of healing and building long term resilience.

This workshop is grounded in research, and focuses on understanding and providing practical, effective tools for healing emotional dysregulation, unresolved trauma, and emotional triggers. It will also provide tools for strengthening emotional self-awareness, and building psychological and emotional resilience.

The workshop is grounded in research, and informed by the work of experts including: Dr. Allan Abbass, Dr. John Briere, Dr. Steve Cole, Tara Brach, Dr. Susan David, Dr. Ale Duarte, Dr. Diana Fosha, Dr, Linda Graham, Dr. Chris Germer, Prune Harris, Dr. James Hollis, Dr. Julianne Holt-Lunstad , Dr. Donald Hoffman, Dr. Rick Hanson, Thomas Hubl, Dr. Bessel van der Kolk, Byron Katie, Dr. Peter Levine, Nick Ortner, Dr. Susan Pinker, Dr. Stephen Porges, Dr. Isabelle Mansuey, Dr. Monica McGoldrick, Dr Resmaa Menakem, Nick Ortner, Dr. David Richo, Dr. Allan Schore, Dr. Daniel Siegel, Dr. Diana Schiller, Dr Elizabeth Stanley, Jesse Thistle, and Dr. Michael Unger.

This workshop is suited to both personal and professional interest, and those working with individuals who are affected by childhood, intergenerational, complex, single-incident, environmental, collective, community, gender based or racialized trauma.

Certificate of Completion will be provided.

*Please note - if you would like to attend this workshop but are unable to due to experiencing financial hardship, please contact the organizer.

In this workshop you will learn:

• The basics: What is trauma? How unresolved trauma can impact our view of self, other and world
• What is meant by "trauma-informed practice" and how our understanding of psychological trauma has evolved
• Understanding the continuum between stress and trauma
• The basic neurobiology of trauma
• Understanding the "human threat response"
• Overview of the concept "neuroception"; and the role of the vagus nerve in emotional regulation.
• Understanding relational attunement and its role in trauma healing. Learn tools/practices to strengthen this important skill.
• What are: vicarious trauma, secondary trauma, compassion fatigue, and collective trauma.
• The signs and symptoms of trauma
• Understanding ACE (Adverse Childhood Experiences) research & scores
• How traumatic memory is formed and stored
• Understanding implicit memory, and its role in the formation of trauma-based beliefs and emotional triggers.
• What are emotional triggers? How they are formed, and healed
• How to avoid re-traumatization, and avoid re-triggering others
• What is meant by our nervous system's "window of tolerance". How is it widened?
• What is emotional resilience; what is vicarious resilience
• Triggers that could be associated with recent distressing news events, and the Cov19 pandemic; tools for healing
• How trauma-based beliefs are formed, and healed
• Resourcing and self regulation skills/tools.
• Important components in trauma healing
• An overview of therapies, tools, modalities, which are aligned with trauma-informed practice and facilitate the healing process. What to look for when seeking a trauma therapist
• Somatic and expressive arts methods recently developed to heal trauma
• What is Intergenerational trauma and new research re: healing epigenetic transmission.
• What is meant by post traumatic growth, and how is it fostered?
• Questions to ask which are specific to fostering post traumatic growth

FACILITATOR:

Trish Walsh BA, MTC

Trish is a Master Therapeutic Counsellor, Instructor, and workshop facilitator, located in Vancouver, British Columbia, the traditional, ancestral, and unceded territory of the xʷməθkwəy̓əm (Musqueam), Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish), and Səl̓ílwətaʔ/Selilwitulh (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations. From 2008 - 2016 Trish was the Executive Director of the InnerChange Foundation; a Canadian foundation with the mandate of increasing funding, education and awareness in the area of addiction and concurrent disorders. In Trish’s clinical practice her focus and training are in the area of Transpersonal Psychology, which integrates eastern philosophies within the framework of modern psychology.

Since 2016 Trish has focused on developing and facilitating strength-based trauma informed trainings for university students along with health and mental health professionals who working in the field, and who are interested in updating their knowledge and skills in the area of trauma healing. Trish also provides trauma-informed, and resilience-informed, trainings and workshops on healing intergenerational trauma, collective trauma, compassion fatigue, secondary trauma and moral injury, to front line workers, school teachers/ administrators, organizations, and the general public.

In addition to Trish’s counselling practice, her work over the last 20 years has focused on knowledge translation: specifically, conveying research findings in medicine and mental health care to government decision makers, physicians, mental health professionals, allied health care providers, along with corporations, community groups and the general public. She has also consulted for several organizations to bring health information to their staff, stakeholders, and the general public. Trish has a particular passion for conveying research information in an engaging and easy to understand way, aiding decision makers in their funding and public policy decisions, and helping individuals to learn practical strategies for better health, happiness, and personal success.

Trish also provides training in Trauma-Informed Coaching and Transpersonal Coaching, for professional coaches.

For more info please see: www.trishwalsh.ca

Recent Feedback:

"The workshop is filled with very relevant material that can be used directly in your therapeutic practice. Trish's delivery style and notes makes the material very accessible and clear. I appreciate her warmth, compassion and passion for this work that puts the participants at ease and generates engaging conversations" - public training survey feedback

"Trish presented her trauma-informed workshop at our staff retreat for professional and mental health development. This workshop is incredibly helpful, informative and relevant for everyone who wants to better understand themselves and those around them whether in a corporate or social setting. It dives into the biological and psychological reasons of why we react the way we do, and provides guidance on how to manage and change behaviours. I’ve done several different corporate personality and behavioural tool analysis, and none of them have been as insightful, or as useful, as this workshop both professionally and personally. Thanks again for a great workshop". Cindy Chetley | High Performance Coordinator Nordiq Canada, Canmore, Alberta

"Your presentation was amazing and we’ve had nothing but positive feedback from staff. It was the perfect workshop to have before our DEI leadership course. The two workshops were very complimentary and having the information you presented going into the leadership course made the learnings easier to understand and more meaningful. Thank you for sending us all the resources, it will be shared with all of the attendees. Thanks again! "

"Hi Trish, I’m echoing Cindy’s comments above, especially the one around setting us up for the rest of our retreat – I recognized triggers in myself I wouldn’t have otherwise. It was also nice to meet you in person. We’re hopeful we get to work with you again! THANKS! " - Megan Begley | Chief Operating Officer, SafeSport Officer Nordiq Canada, Canmore Alberta https://nordiqcanada.ca/

"Trish, thank you for your wonderful presentation on Trauma-Informed Care. The feedback received from many of the participants was very positive, with many people saying it was the highlight of the 3 day conference! We found it highly valuable". - BC Provincial Health Authority

"Trish's presentation to our group was not only informative but incredibly insightful. Her warm approach, well attuned and focused presence and wonderful sense of humour made for an excellent transformative learning experience for all." -Izumi Miki McGruer, BC Regional Vice President Advisor Solutions, Canada Life

"Thank you so much Trish, this was beyond doubt one of the best and most useful trauma trainings that I have ever attended! Thank you! " – Emily Chan, Vancouver BC

"Trish you have such a passion for this work that comes across in your delivery even through a screen. I love how each topic is presented with such clarity. You make the work so accessible and tangible. Thank you!!” – Jenn Anderson

“The Family Support Institute of British Columbia had the good fortune to do a custom tailored workshop on Trauma Informed Practice with Trish and Galen for our provincial staff team. The session was profound and impactful. The presenters were gentle, skilled, and imparted deep knowledge, research and practice into all aspects of our time together. They made space for all participants to feel safe, nurtured and left them with a newly acquired set of tools, strategies and knowledge. Our time together was set at a wonderful pace and had great structure to enable the participants to easily ask questions, pause and reflect, and take breaks or connect as they personally needed. FSIBC would highly recommend Trish and Galen to anyone who is looking for a team session on Trauma Informed Practice”.

– Angela Clancy, Executive Director of the Family Support Institute of British Columbia:

https://familysupportbc.com/

“I want to thank you so very much on behalf of the Jordan's Principle Hub Team and the participants. Many found your presentation informative, relevant, and safer for them. The participants came for varied cultural and socio-economic backgrounds and felt that was respected. We received very good feedback during the day spent with you, and the positive conversation about your presentation continued into the second day. It was good to have such an interactive and responsive presentation style. Many commented that it helped them remain engaged. I am certain that we will be looking to work with you again in the future.”

- With gratitude, Raymond Cauchi, Jordan’s Principle Hub Resource Coordinator, BC Aboriginal Child Care Society

"The workshop is filled with very relevant material that can be used directly in your therapeutic practice. Trish's delivery style and notes makes the material very accessible and clear. I appreciate her warmth, compassion and passion for this work that puts the participants at ease and generates engaging conversations" - public training survey feedback

“Trish’s way of conveying the neuroscience was very well articulated and understandable (especially for myself who has “academic burn-out” and finds scientific language/jargon hard to understand) with the right mix of personal stories and examples. Thank you! " - public training survey feedback

Host or Publisher Trish Walsh