Trauma Informed Practice for Family Violence Specialists

In this two-day intensive course, participants will learn what makes family violence different from other traumatic experiences, and how workers can integrate a trauma-informed framework into practice. The course also covers ways to prevent vicarious trauma and strategies for workers and their employer to support worker wellbeing.

A trauma-informed approach shifts away from pathologising ‘problem’ behaviour, towards understanding a person’s experiences, behaviours and responses as a way of coping and responding to trauma.

The training will cover:

• Understanding the impacts and dynamics of trauma for family violence survivors
• Identifying trauma responses in survivors and how to respond to minimise further traumatisation
• Applying a foundational understanding of the neurobiology of trauma to practice frameworks
• Understanding the impact of traumatic brain injury as a result of family violence
• Using a trauma informed practice approach to increase advocacy for survivors
• Identifying impacts on workers to prevent vicarious trauma
• Practical strategies and approaches to increase survivors’ agency in decision-making
• Micro-counselling skills to enhance regulation, grounding and sense of safety.