Online course

Understanding Trauma

Effective treatment and recovery
Discover why some people become traumatised and not others, the cause of extreme traumatic stress responses, the wide range of trauma symptoms – and much more…

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Understanding Trauma online course

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Special offer

  • Price: £49 £45

Price includes life-long access

Special Offer

Original price was: £49.00.Current price is: £45.00.

This clear, helpful online trauma awareness course with Ros Townsend, a highly experienced psychotherapist specialising in treating trauma, gives you a thorough understanding of how and why we can be impacted by traumatic events, what is happening in our brains, what causes post traumatic stress symptoms and how to help someone who is suffering.

The clearest explanation of trauma I’ve ever had - thank you!

Why take this course

CPD Provider LogoWith the Covid-19 Pandemic, more people than usual have experienced extremely stressful, distressing and/or frightening events, and many are finding that it has left them with traumatic stress symptoms.

Suffering from trauma – whether from a single incident or multiple events – can have a significant impact on a person’s mental and physical health. It can also greatly affect the lives of those around them.

Understanding is key – recovery is possible

Understanding what makes us vulnerable to becoming traumatised, how our brains react to distressing events, and why, how to spot trauma symptom, the coping strategies people employ, what needs to happen to enable recovery and when to see professional help, is essential if we are able to help people effectively.

Jam-packed full of clear information, insights and tips, this online trauma course will clarify this and more for you, making you better equipped to help support recovery and build resilience – it is an essential course for anyone wishing to help traumatised children and adults successfully recover as quickly as possible, or for anyone wanting to better understand what’s happening to someone they care about.

A well presented and taught online course, from a highly knowledgeable and engaging teacher

Melanie Bearne – After attending Ros' Guided Imagery Workshop
Live online version available

Live online version available

The content of this course is also covered, along with further information and group break out sessions, on the live online course Trauma: Patterns from the Past – which gives you the additional benefit of being able to ask our expert tutor questions.

What will you learn

  • A clear understanding of what trauma is
  • What’s happening in our brains when we experience a traumatic event
  • Why some people are affected by traumatic events, but not others
  • Why post-traumatic stress occurs and the many different ways it can present
  • What makes something ‘a trauma’
  • The physical and psychological causes of post traumatic stress symptoms such as flash backs, hypervigilance, anger, poor sleep, poor memory, physical pain, difficulty thinking, digestive problems, low mood
  • Why PTS symptoms can develop years after a traumatic event
  • The fight or flight response – its impact on our brain and body, and why it can be triggered inappropriately
  • Why some people freeze when faced with a traumatic event, and why we shouldn’t feel ashamed if we do
  • The double whammy that comes with the ‘freeze’ response
  • Why our brains evolved this way
  • How traumatic memories can stay ‘live’, keeping us on constant alert for danger
  • ‘The straw that broke the camel’s back’: why one seemingly small event can tip someone into PTSD after years of exposure to other distressing events
  • The importance of pattern-matching in understanding how our brains work
  • What we all need as human beings to live emotionally healthy lives
  • Spotting the ‘red-flag’ signs that you, or someone you care for, might need further support – and where to find effective help
  • How best to support others suffering from the effects of trauma
  • The far-reaching impacts of unresolved trauma, including the development of co-morbid conditions and unhelpful coping strategies, such as addictions
  • How unresolved trauma can lead to depression – the trauma / depression cycle
  • The natural way we recover from distressing events
  • How high emotional arousal impacts on our ability to think clearly
  • Why post traumatic stress triggers seemingly inappropriately extreme fear reactions
  • Differences when treating single incident trauma, multiple trauma or ‘complex trauma’
  • The traumatic memories continuum
  • The common elements of effective treatments for post traumatic stress (PTSD)
  • Working holistically from the human givens approach
  • An understanding of how the rewind technique works; its many advantages and applications
  • How to build resilience and recover from symptoms
  • How to access the ‘recovery zone’
  • Using breathing techniques with clients suffering from trauma
  • Self-help strategies for improving your mental health and minimising traumatic symptoms
  • When to seek professional help

What's included?

  • Videos
    Videos
  • Lifetime access
    Life-long access
  • CPD Certificate
    CPD Certificate

Who is this course suitable for?

  • Anyone interested in understanding trauma and the many different ways it can present, the physical and psychological causes of post traumatic stress symptoms (PTSD), and what can be done to help – whether for personal or professional reasons.
  • Anyone working with traumatised people including health and welfare professionals, including: psychologists, counsellors, psychotherapists, mental health nurses, psychiatrists, school counsellors, student wellbeing officers, doctors, nurses, OTs, social workers, health visitors, youth workers, outreach, support workers, clinical psychologists, midwives, welfare officers, youth workers, hypnotherapists and those working with traumatised members of public services, such as: firefighters, police, paramedics and military personnel – you will find the information on this course hugely helpful.
CPD Provider LogoThis course has been independently accredited by the internationally recognised CPD Standards Office for 2.5 hours of CPD training.

Meet your tutor

Rosalind Townsend, HG tutor and therapist

Rosalind Townsend

Ros Townsend is an experienced psychotherapist and supervisor with busy practices in SW England, where she combines private therapy work with referrals from Occupational Health and the NHS.

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Reviews for this course

4.9/5 (17 Reviews)
  1. Karen Woods, Therapist

    I found this course to be very thorough and well structured. Ros’s huge experience and knowledge in relation to psychological trauma was evident. As with other HG courses I have attended, there was an excellent amount of interesting, informative and practical content, presented in a clear and logical way. Thank you 🙂

  2. Child & Adolescent Psychotherapist

    Very informative and interesting. Also provided me with a tool box of knowledge and new skills to support my clients.

  3. Hilary Kearns, Psychotherapist

    Excellent cpd course….full of information and very practical

  4. Rebecca Lagan, Trainee Human Givens Therapist

    Thoroughly enjoyed this course. I have already used some things I picked up with clients. I liked the back to basics approach before layering on more complex ideas. The entire day was so well thought out and presented, with all the explanations clear and logical. As a trainee therapist it was an excellent way to embed my current knowledge and add a little extra on top. Thank you Ros

  5. Counsellor

    I really enjoyed the training, it was very useful and helped me see working with trauma in a new way. Learning new ways in how trauma can effect the body and mind. I enjoyed this training more than other training I have done on trauma and how the material was was easy to understand and how it can be applied in therapy.

  6. Psychotherapist

    Very informative and presented in a relaxed inclusive and enlightening way.

  7. Life Transformations Coach

    I liked getting a refresh training after having taken rewind, guided imagery, complex trauma in 2022. I especially like examples given by Rosalind from her own practice.

  8. Clare McDonald, Self Employed Counsellor

    I thought the way Rosalind used analogues throughout the training was really very useful. Thank you

  9. Leslie Staines, Therapist

    The course dealt with a serious complex subject area – Trauma – arising out of an individuals Human Givens not being adequately met. The subject area was broken down into simplistic interconnected sections. Each of these sections building together into an overall conceptual understanding of the consequences of such failure. Methods of assisting the client were then provided which enabled the Therapist to use both psycho-education and practical interventions to assist the client in resolving their needs.

  10. Trainee Counsellor

    I found this a very comprehensive overview, especially as someone with limited experience in trauma informed practice. I thought Ros was an excellent and engaging trainer, and I learnt a lot.

  11. Mental Health in Schools Team Clinical Lead/Psychologist

    I really like the way the Human Givens approach to the needs and resources was woven through the training. I found it really powerful to think about the need for privacy sometimes blocking processing of trauma. Also the strengths and challenges of pattern matching and how breathing techniques and physical activity interventions without the psycho-ed re-pattern matching to fight/flight physiological responses to trauma can sometimes work against processing templates. The course was well informed and really helped integrate the broad range of teaching in a way that made it make sense and easy to learn and receive. Thank you.

  12. Rachel Lloyd

    Really helpful course, has clarified so much for me.

  13. Dora Bek, Solution-focused clinical Hypnotherapist and Reiki Practitioner

    Rosalind Townsend taught the holistic Human Givens approach to the understanding of trauma and its treatment. She communicates very clearly and systematically, and uses many visual aids very effectively. My understanding of what trauma is, how brain processes trauma, what causes PTSD and in particular how to determine what individuals need to recover, has been significantly deepened by this course.

  14. Stephen Pinsent, Psychologist

    As a psychologist of over forty years, I was quite pleased with the presentation. Specifically, the content, illustrations and examples, pace of presentation, and skill information portions were valuable and consistent with previous training I have taken in the trauma area. I will recommend this content to colleagues.

  15. Mary George, Mental Health Counselor

    I love the Human Givens approach to therapy. This was a very good review for me of pattern matching, rewind technique (which I took with Mark Tyrell), 7/11 breathing, etc. Very good presentation. Thank you so much.

  16. dawn lipscombe, Occupational Therapist

    I am an Occupational Therapist who found this course so useful – thank you! great content and basic English – I will be signing up for more.

  17. Lisa S., Part-time

    I found this really helpful. The tutor was very clear in her descriptions of how some people can become traumatised and what causes the different symptoms, and what can help. My husband has had PTSD for a long time which has been quite a struggle, understanding what’s been going on and why he sometimes behaves the way he does has been a huge help. Thank you.

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Understanding Trauma - Online Course Image
Understanding Trauma
Original price was: £49.00.Current price is: £45.00.
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