Therapeutic treasure box: techniques for facilitating resilience & affect regulation in children with developmental trauma

This training draws on the attachment, loss, stress, and trauma theory base, however, with a focus of translating the findings into day-to-day child protection and children in care case work and practical tips. Once theory and context have been established on day 1. Days 2 and 3 will discuss and try out a range of creative and expressive techniques and tools. These are mainly from the bestselling book the “Therapeutic Treasure Box for Working with Developmental Trauma”.

**This course is open to all who wish to attend from the UK and Internationally**

What is the impact of trauma, neglect, toxic stress and disrupted attachment on children, adolescents, and on their surrounding adults? What is the impact on the body, brain, emotions, behaviours, learning, and relationships? This course focuses on translating the latest evidence-base, neuroscience findings, attachment, loss, stress, and trauma theories into day-to-day case work.

Once theory and context have been established, a range of creative and expressive tools will be taught. These are mainly from the bestselling “Therapeutic Treasure Box for Working with Developmental Trauma” and will focus on a range of areas including engagement, resilience, relational safety, & affect regulation

Learning outcomes:

• Develop further knowledge and understanding about the impact of early trauma and disrupted attachment on children’s overall development.

• Gain further insight into the latest brain science and neurobiology around childhood trauma and neglect.

• Link trauma and attachment theories to real life case examples.

• Consider how emotional regulation develops in childhood, and how it can be influenced by trauma and disrupted attachment.

• Reflect on how trauma can impact a child’s developmental trajectory and “age”.

• Consider typical behavioural presentations within this client group and how these can be formulated from an attachment and trauma perspective.

• Learn about how to identify children’s multi-sensory triggers and emotional hotspots.

• Gain further understanding as to why therapeutic re-parenting and relationship-based trauma-informed practice is so fundamental to children’s progress.

• Review some key therapeutic strategies needed to underpin direct work.

• Learn some take home direct working tools and strategies for supporting affect regulation and resilience.

• Learn some direct working tools around emotional and relational safety.

Dr Karen Treisman is a Highly Specialist Clinical Psychologist who has worked in the NHS and children’s services for several years. Karen has also worked cross-culturally in both Africa and Asia with groups ranging from former child soldiers to survivors of the Rwandan Genocide. Karen has extensive experience in the areas of trauma, parenting, and attachment, and works clinically using a range of therapeutic approaches with families, systems, and children in or on the edge of care, unaccompanied asylum-seeking young people, and adopted children. In addition to holding a doctorate in Clinical psychology, Karen has undergone a range of specialist trainings including in EMDR, Narrative Therapy, Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy, Sensory Attachment Intervention, and Theraplay. Karen has previously worked in both Milton Keynes’s and Kensington and Chelsea’s Looked after Children (LAC) and fostering services, and within the National Implementation Service for evidence-based interventions for Looked after children, children on the edge of care, and children in custody at the Michael Rutter Centre in the Maudsley Hospital; and as a Clinical Lead for a court assessment and intensive parenting intervention team for children on the edge of care and in proceedings within Islington. Karen is the director of Safe Hands and Thinking Minds training and consultancy services. Karen is an external consultant, trainer, and assessor to Barnardos Adoption Service, PAC-UK, Hope for families, Three Steps Ireland, Pause, CoramBAAF, Grandparents Plus, and the Fostering Network. Karen is a member of the CoramBAAF health group advisory committee, and a reviewer for the Journal of Adoption and Fostering. Karen regularly presents at local, national, and international trauma, parenting, and attachment conferences. Karen is the author of "Working with children and adolescents who have experienced relational and developmental trauma" (Routledge, 2016); and “A Therapeutic Treasure Box for Working with children and adolescents who have experienced relational and developmental trauma” (2017); and two sets of therapeutic treasure deck of cards (2018). www.safehandsthinkingminds.co.uk

Convenors: Karen Treisman