Trauma-informed practice to support people who have experienced psychological trauma

Did you know? 

• Trauma experience is common, with many people experiencing traumatic events such as rape, assault, and traffic accidents at some point in their lives (Kilpatrick et al., 2013). 
• Saying or doing the right, or wrong thing, particularly at the early stages of support can be vital to prevent re-traumatisation.
• Research has shown that trauma-informed systems and services have better outcomes for those impacted by trauma (NHS Education for Scotland 2020, National Trauma Training Programme).

By taking this course you will;

• Gain a strong foundation in understanding psychological trauma.
• Understand how and why trauma can be presented differently.
• Learn how to respond appropriately to psychological trauma.
• Explore practical tools to appropriately support someone who has experienced psychological trauma in your own roles.

This introductory level course will help you to become trauma-informed by raising your understanding of how to respond appropriately to psychological trauma, even when psychological trauma may not have been disclosed. 

What will I learn?

The learning outcomes for this course are to;

1. Recognise and summarise different types of psychological trauma (e.g. acute, complex, vicarious trauma) and its impacts on the individual and society.
2. Recognise key characteristics of psychological trauma, explain how trauma may be presented differently and how to adapt to ensure an appropriate trauma response is implemented.
3. Be able to explain why someone may be more predisposed to a poor trauma response, including the role of the role of social, developmental, environmental, cognitive, biological and psychological factors, and how differences in trauma responses may occur.
4. Compare trauma responses and explain why interventions may be more or less helpful to recovery.
5. Recall and categorise some psychological theories and approaches to best support someone who has experienced trauma.
6. Recognise and be able to summarise common interventions to support trauma recovery, and identify when or why they may be most appropriate.  
7. Summarise why specific treatment pathways might be recommended for service users presenting with psychological trauma.
8. Recognise and be able to summarise some of the characteristics of common trauma related disorders.
9. Identify and explain what considerations may need to be made when supporting someone who has experienced trauma.
10. Explain the importance of responding appropriately when supporting someone who is experiencing psychological trauma, and articulate when it may be appropriate to signpost to other people / services for further support.
11. Explain how supporting traumatised persons can impact you and articulate some strategies to help protect yourself and others, in these circumstances.
12. Be aware of your own boundaries of knowledge, and understand what to do if you exceed them.

What is the course structure?

This course is made up of two modules. Module one is an online eLearning module in which you will gain an introduction to psychological trauma, explore different types of trauma and traumatic responses, and understand some of the psychological underpinning to psychological trauma and trauma response. You will also take an introductory look at Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and Complex Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. We have designed the eLearning to take two to three hours to complete. Module two is a half-day online workshop where you will explore and consider how you can best apply what you learned in your role. We run the workshops on a monthly basis and you can book your place as soon as you have enrolled for the programme.

Workshops will be delivered by one of our appointed trainers; Dr Heather Sequeira or Dr Russ Hurn. 

In addition to the site policies this course is subject to additional terms and conditions.

Once enrolled, you have six months to complete the course.

Once you have completed the course, you will receive a certificate of completion.

This course is available in English only.

Is this course right for me? 

If you are not a trauma specialist and want to increase your awareness of trauma in order to deliver trauma-informed services then this course has been designed for you. You will gain an introduction suitable for anyone working in a people facing role (in psychological or other settings)

The course is suitable for non-trauma specialists who; 

• Work in any people facing role. Remember, you may not always be aware of someone’s psychological trauma experience.
• Work in a first response role, or other role where you may come into contact with survivors of psychological trauma.
• Are in tier one of the ‘BPS Recommendations for education and training of psychologists when work with psychological trauma’ (i.e. you are qualified to undergraduate, BSc level). The recommendations can be found on the 'Resources tab' of the Crisis, Disaster and Trauma Psychology Section webpage.

This course is not suitable for people wanting to process their own post traumatic actions or mental health problems. If you are struggling at the moment you may find the content and nature of this course could exacerbate these issues. If you require support, we recommend contacting your GP or Health Care Provider.  

Disclaimer

How much does it cost?

Price: £325 (+VAT)

Members: £195 (+VAT)

Please log in to see your best price. 

You will have access to the course for six months from date of enrolment. 

In addition to the site policies this course is subject to additional terms and conditions

Our accessibility statement gives more details on our approach. 

Group discounts

If you or your colleagues are looking to book onto this course as a group you can make savings by booking five or more places.

Invoicing

In order to request a quote for five or more learners, please email cpd@bps.org.uk. If you are looking to book for fewer than 5 learners please proceed directly to requesting an invoice.

To request an invoice for you or your group, please complete this invoice request form. We also provide guidance to support this process. Please note, to raise an invoice you will need to provide a Purchase Order. Once the invoice has been paid we will provide your learners with details of how to access their learning.

Contact 

This course has been organised by BPS Professional Practice and Development. You can contact us at cpd@bps.org.uk

You may also be interested in our other courses on BPS Learn, including those related to trauma and your personal development.

You can also explore the range of BPS books available via Routledge where BPS members receive 25% discount.