This webinar recording draws from evidence informed literature on neurobiology, developmental trauma research, psychotherapy principles, social models of health and disability, mental health, and allied health.
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“We elicit from the world what we project into the world; but what you project is based upon what happened to you as a child.” – Bruce Perry.
Developmental trauma can occur when a child witnesses or endures overwhelming negative experiences such as abuse, neglect, or loss in the early stages of their life and childhood. Critically, relationships that were supposed to keep the child safe were often a source of fear or unpredictability.
The adversity a child experiences in the formative years can have a lasting impact on their physical development as well as the development of language, memory, speech, emotional regulation, behaviour, and healthy social relationships.
If adequate support is not received, trauma may contribute to the development of mental health disorders, emotional dysregulation, behaviours of concern, or difficulty with trusting relationships as an adult. In the course of our work with children or adults we may discover periods our clients’ life where a caregiver was unable to keep them safe.
Experiences can range from exposure to alcohol and other drug use, family violence and unstable living conditions, physical or sexual abuse, and other harmful events.
This webinar recording draws from evidence informed literature on neurobiology, developmental trauma research, psychotherapy principles, social models of health and disability, mental health, and allied health. It encourages social workers to step back and view a child’s situation through a trauma lens, especially when the child’s presentation is particularly complex or intense.
The webinar recording offers key principles and strategies that social workers can use to offer trauma informed support to their clients, even if they are not working in a trauma treatment role. It offers therapeutic strategies to use in client work, and appropriate interventions that could be integrated into the child’s care network to support trauma healing.
"The webinar is very informative, Claudia has shared and provided great resources. She is pragmatic and down to earth when linking theory to practice" – webinar participant, January 2022.
"I think every social worker should do this session and spend more time learning of this area - highly beneficial and relevant" – webinar participant, January 2022.
Who should register? Emerging to established social workers who would like to deepen their understanding of developmental trauma and its impacts. Professionals working in schools and Out of Home Care would also benefit from this content.
Learning Outcomes
Participants will be able to:
- Define developmental trauma
- Understand how developmental trauma affects children and young people (and the adults they grow into)
- Identify how trauma may have contributed to a client’s presentation, and the implications of diagnostic overshadowing / making assumptions.
- Consider how a child’s behaviour could be communicating unmet needs about relational safety.
- Understand how trauma-informed support can help children and young people with high-risk and challenging behaviours - Identify appropriate therapeutic interventions pathways to support young clients in their individual healing process.
AASW Credentials: Mental Health; Child Protection
Presenter
Claudia Wolf is an AASW social worker with a Postgraduate qualification in Developmental Trauma from the Australian Childhood Foundation. She has completed additional training in Acceptance Commitment Therapy for trauma related disorders, Mental Health, and Alcohol and Other Drugs. She is currently working as a Positive Behaviour Support Practitioner with NDIS participants who have behaviours of concern. Her interests include psychosocial disability, as well as working with participants who have experienced adversity and trauma.
She has a background working in the Out of Home Care sector with children and adolescents with significant developmental trauma and high risk/challenging behaviours. While working in Out of Home Care, she was a lead trainer in her organisation for Trauma Informed Caring. She spent several years training and assessing new foster carers, helping to build their confidence and competence to support the children and young people in their care using therapeutic parenting strategies. In her current role, she has presented training on developmental trauma to various (clinical and non-clinical) teams.
