Professional Development
My specialty is working with direct service organizations such as domestic violence shelters, child welfare services, gang intervention, addiction/recovery facilities as well as non-profits, probation/incarceration facilities, schools and yoga studios.
Each training is tailored to meet the specific needs of your organization. Prior to coming in, I like to speak to several people from the organization in order to get a sense of what is present and what is needed. I find that people in different departments and levels of leadership have a specific view of the organization. I get the fullest picture by speaking to several people; this allows the group work to be more impactful and authentic.
Trainings can happen with the entire staff or certain departments or even individuals, depending on your needs and issues of concern. I can be available for a free consultation to discuss if this is a good fit.
Contact us to set this up.
Trauma Sensitivity Training
Stress Management, Self-Care, Communication, and Creating a Culture of Wellness
A trauma sensitive organization prioritizes the wellbeing of its staff and the people it serves. A trauma sensitive approach acknowledges that we all have our own struggles and recognizes our humanity- not just our wounds but our strength and resilience. This is central to creating a culture that supports everyone to thrive and be well.
High stress and trauma affect our ability to cope with challenges in a responsible and effective way. Understanding the impact that stress and trauma have on the mind and body can combat these effects, allowing us to build resiliency, communicate more effectively, and therefore create organizational wellness. Participants will learn to identify their automatic responses to stress and trauma, apply specific strategies to regulate emotions and responses, and use proven techniques to enable clear decision-making and effective, trauma-informed communication. This increase in knowledge and skills will positively impact leadership skills and therapeutic interventions, and help participants to thrive in their work and personal lives.
Topics covered include:
- The impact of stress and trauma on the mind and body
- Tools for self-regulation
- How to build resilience both personally and organizationally
- Healthy communication
- Vicarious trauma
- Self-Care
- Creating a work culture of wellness and sustainability
- Best practices for a trauma informed organization
I can offer this training as a two-hour introduction session, four module series or staff retreat. Schedule and scope to be determined for each organization.
Trauma Informed Care (TIC)
Best Practices for Working with Trauma Impacted Individuals and Communities
This is a training for organizations and individuals working with trauma impacted individuals and communities in a variety of ways. It can be tailored to educators, non-teaching school staff, people working in community mental health (both as clinicians or administrators), activist organizations, mentor organizations, etc.
TIC is grounded in creating an environment that is sensitive not just to trauma survivors but to all human beings (we’ve all experienced some sort of adversity). TIC trainings are deeply experiential and can be a powerful way to build meaningful and embodied connections between staff as well as offer tangible skills for engaging with clients and colleagues with sensitivity.
Topics covered include:
- Trauma basics- how trauma impacts the body, mind and spirit
- Fostering resilience- what is resilience and what are best practices for strengthening it, not just for our clients but for our staff
- The connection between self-care and TIC delivery
- Equity, inclusion and belonging as part of TIC
- Skillful communication in stressful times
- Creating and reinforcing an organizational culture of care
Trainings are offered as a staff retreat, multiple short sessions or a combination.
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
This workshop is designed as an introduction to the topic of diversity, equity and inclusion. Diversity without authentic inclusion is incomplete and can sometimes result in recreating the dynamics that we wish to challenge. This is an experiential workshop for groups working together wanting to have more diversity in their staff and management or who are diverse and are needing tools to navigate communication and dynamics across difference.
Ideally this is taught as a series, but it can be adapted based on the organizations needs and availability.
Topics covered include:
- Social Justice Basics: power, oppression, privilege, structural violence
- Why diversity is not enough: practicing equity and inclusion
- Reflecting on our own positionality: how where we stand shapes what we see and don’t see
- Communication across difference: boundaries, empathy and deep listening