Wednesday 4th December 2024.

Introduction to Course Philosophy, Principals, and Assessments

7:30pm – 9:30pm on Zoom.

Facilitator: Liz Quish

Saturday 7th December 2025,
Sunday 8th December 2025.

Participants will explore and analyse the The ACE Study, Trauma, Toxic Stress and the impact on children and adolescents’ health and wellbeing. Participants will also reflect on the impact of developmental trauma across developmental domains – Physical, Psychological, Neurological, Cognitive, Emotional and Social.

10am – 4pm on Zoom.

Facilitator: Dr Alvina Grosu

Saturday 18th January 2025,
Sunday 19th January 2025,
Saturday 15th February 2025,
Sunday 16th February 2025.

Introducing and critiquing the major theories of developmental psychology that underpin our understanding and appreciation of development during childhood and adolescence. Key theories which have been influential in developmental child and adolescent psychology will be described and evaluated. This module will also explore the complex biological, psychological and cultural factors that influence a child’s and adolescents’ developmental process. Participants will learn the theoretical foundation for key constructs, theories and developmental processes in perceptual, social, emotional, cognitive and language development.

10am – 4pm on Zoom.

Facilitator: Dr Alvina Grosu

Saturday 1st March 2025,
Sunday 2nd March 2025.

Bowlby’s Attachment Theory will be presented and the implications of separation, loss and abuse on a child’s and adolescents attachment formation. Ainsworth’s classifications and the process of the development of secure and insecure attachments will be outlined with an in-depth exploration of the effects of secure and insecure attachment on a child’s and adolescents social, emotional and behavioural development. Parental/Carers attachment styles, intergenerational trauma and the implications of parental attachment styles on parenting a child with developmental trauma will be conceptualised and explored. The focus of this module will centre on enabling participants to explore the ways in which an attachment lens can inform practitioners understanding of carer/child interactions with a view to formulating more effective interventions in order to assist parents/ carers/ staff in creating a containing , safe and nurturing environment.

10am – 4pm on Zoom.

Facilitator: Dr Alvina Grosu

Saturday 22nd March 2025,
Sunday 23rd March 2025,
Sunday 6th April 2025.

This module will explore different parenting styles and models of parenting, and the strengths and weaknesses of these models in parenting/caring for children and adolescents with developmental trauma histories. Participants will explore and examine key theories and principles relating to family support, namely; Bowen family systems, and Virginia Satir family therapy.

10am – 4pm on Zoom.

Facilitator: Dr Alvina Grosu

Participants are expected to attend an online tutorial and will be assigned to either Group 1 or Group 2 after Orientation.

Tuesday 25th March 2025 (Group 1),
Wednesday 26th March 2025 (Group 2).

7:30pm – 9:30pm on Zoom.

Facilitator: Liz Quish

Sunday 27th April 2025,
Monday 28th April 2025,
Wednesday 21st May 2025.

Participants will explore the principles and main tenents of Stephen Porge’s Polyvagal Theory along with the contributions of Bessel van der Kolk and Babette Rothschild. Participants develop a deep understanding of the need for an embodied approach to trauma developing participants confident in their ability to educate and support parents/ carers/ staff to tune into and reshape their nervous systems. Participants will explore and analyse how the autonomic nervous system operates as an internal surveillance system and its impact on habitual responses to trauma and will develop a range of tools and strategies to help parents/ carers/staff to engage the regulating capacities of their autonomic nervous system in order to create an environment of holding and safety for children and adolescents becoming more adept in the skills of co-regulation and creating reciprocal relationships. Participants will develop the ability to assess patterns in parent/ carers / staff autonomic states and explore their role as co-regulator through employing the right degree of neural challenge and a range of safe exercises to help shape the autonomic nervous system toward safety and connection.

10am – 4pm on Zoom.

Facilitator: Patricia Allen-Garrett

Saturday 14th June 2025,
Sunday 15th June 2025,
Saturday 28th June 2025.

Focusing on developing a framework for assisting parents / carers / staff in providing children/adolescents with the nurturing replacement experiences they require to regulate, through incorporating the core principles of Bruce Perry’s Neuro-sequential model, Dan Hughes PACE Parenting Model and Dan Siegel’s Rupture and Repair process. Participants will explore how positive reinforcement supports children’s and adolescent growth and development, and how negative reinforcement can be harmful to children and adolescents who have been exposed to developmental trauma. Participants will develop tools and strategies to enable them to provide psychoeducation to parents/carers/ staff in order to educate, support and guide parents/carers/staff to support a child/adolescent through the different stages of an escalation/outburst, including proactive strategies for preventing further escalation during the triggering phase, guidance around managing the outburst and key strategies for supporting the child’s /adolescents recovery and reconnection to the parent/carer post-escalation.

10am – 4pm on Zoom.

Facilitator: Marian Connell

Saturday 5th July 2025,
Sunday 6th July 2025.

Parenting and providing care for children who have experienced developmental trauma can be very demanding for parents/carers/staff with research noting many are at risk of experiencing compassion fatigue, burn out and secondary trauma, which can result in blocked care and placement breakdown. This module will explore the dynamics of compassion fatigue, burn out and secondary trauma and how such presentation can manifest and present in parents/carers/ staff. Participants will develop a sound knowledge and appreciation of the main indicators of compassion fatigue, burn out and secondary trauma and contributory risk factors. Participants will explore a range of strategies to support parents/carers with such presentations.

10am – 4pm on Zoom.

Facilitator: Dr. Alvina Grosu

Tuesday 8th July 2025.

Group Process, Exploration of Knowledge and Implications for Professional Practice.

7:30pm – 9:30pm on Zoom.

Facilitator: Liz Quish