Trauma Transformative Practice with Children

Complex Developmental trauma has a significant impact on the developing brain, children’s behaviour and how they experience relationships. It can result in children experiencing developmental delays and significant difficulties regulating their emotions, adapting their behaviour and being attuned to social exchanges.

This can lead to a fundamental challenge for children to experience safety and engage in relational exchanges that support them. The widespread impact of these experiences of trauma has profound implications for how carers, practitioners, programs, and systems support children. These children need adults and systems that are responsive to the impact of the trauma experiences on their development and functioning. With understanding, adults and systems can be more effective in the support they provide children to heal.

This workshop introduces the Trauma Transformative paradigm as a way to inform our practice with children. It will outline the knowledge and dimensions described in The Handbook of Trauma Transformative Practice (Tucci, Mitchell, Porges, Tronik 2024).

The workshop will adapt this knowledge to develop approaches and contextualise strategies for working with children. This workshop is aimed at people working with and caring for children and young people who have experienced trauma, including Child Protection practitioners, Mental health and allied health professionals, Educators and early-learning staff, Family Support Services, and out-of-home care staff.