Trauma Responsive Practice with Children

Developmental (or relational) 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 which understand the impact of their 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 provides participants with an opportunity to review the foundational knowledge of complex developmental trauma and a conceptual trauma responsive practice framework to facilitate the application of this knowledge to work across multiple contexts. This framework will then be used to explore specific strategies that participants can use in their own practice.

This workshop is aimed at people working with and caring for infants, 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.