Public Training Courses

There are 3 public workshops subjects we    offer you

Training Support Workers / Counsellor to use a Directive Workbook to Facilitate Trauma Recovery
- INTRODUCTORY WORKSHOP
- ADVANCED WORKSHOP

Managing Violent/Aggressive Persons & Incidents

Emotional First Aid & Debriefing Training & Services

Self-Defence & Restraints

Do you have a Framework to guide Trauma Recovery for your clients?

In 2003, I finally commenced collating my experience from a decade of facilitating people.s recovery from trauma to create a directive workbook.  My first book was never intended as a progressive directional working tool, and clients indicated some frustration that there wasn.t room to write their own notes and story!  Both from counselling, facilitating support groups and noticing how people tried to use the first book, it became clear that we needed more direction and structure to guide the recovery process, whether or not people choose to use a trauma recovery counsellor.  Colleagues also mentioned that people wanted a workbook.

My clients love having a snoopy blanket. to take away with them because as you may know, a traumatised person has difficulty concentrating and with memory.  So how much of what we do and suggest in therapy is actually absorbed, let alone remembered?  Since releasing the workbook at the end of 2004, I am able to help a client get started on a page that is most relevant to what has emerged in the session and instead of giving them loose pages of paper (easily lost) they have this sizeable bright book. 

Another benefit is that the contents page has my whole framework summarised and although individuals move where their own need is, they can clearly see what the foundational work involves.  People read other bits or the whole book if they want to know more and of course there are chapters that the support network will really benefit most from reading.  They can also read about what is recovery.  There is an index at the back for easy reference to words and phenomena that they may wish to explore.  As this is the first (very limited trial edition) I am really looking for feedback from recovering people and counsellors as to what is useful, superfluous or lacking so as to start creating a better edition in 2006!

NEW INTRODUCTORY WORKSHOP FOR COUNSELLORS AND GENERAL SUPPORT WORKERS - to use a Directive Workbook to facilitate people's recovery from trauma.

The focus of this workshop is to empower you to use the workbook successfully to help move the client through the recovery process. Throughout the workbook there are encouraging guides that indicate when it is a good time to enlist the support of a counsellor. The workbook in no way reduces the need for a therapist, in fact it reaffirms the reader of the need and benefit of a counsellor. Counsellors will find that clients who are better informed about the recovery process will want more from their counselling sessions and get more out of their counselling relationship.


So many people think that having a talk should sort it all out and often feel a bit better after having spoken with a counsellor, but they don't understand the unconscious protective defences that develop as a result of trauma. Often it is not until their family or work relationships suffer, that they once again attend counselling or worse still - don't, and then blame others or the counsellor for not fixing it all up when they initially sought counselling. That's why my workbook also aims to educate individuals recovering from trauma to form realistic expectations of themselves and their support people.

NEW ADVANCED WORKSHOP FOR COUNSELLOR & THERAPISTS

Developed in response to requests during the introductory workshops.  An opportunity to share, debate and hear how the workbook enhances the therapy process.

Pre-requisites for both workshops are to register well ahead of time, giving you time to read the workbook. 

Advanced Workshop  will be optimised if participants have also tried out a couple of exercises and share these experiences during the workshop.  This workshop will also require participants to have prior knowledge of PTSD.