Building Trauma-informed advocacy skills
Many advocates already know a lot about trauma and use their knowledge and training to help survivors recover every day, but it can also be healing in and of itself to share information about trauma directly with survivors. Being prepared with evidence-based responses to challenges, confusion, or myths you may hear is one way to help survivors begin their healing journey. Interactive breakout sessions, facilitated by experienced trainers, will offer an opportunity to practice different communication approaches and reflect as a group.
In this workshop, we will discuss:
- Tips for how and when to talk about the trauma response
- Key trauma facts to share with survivors and myths to dispel
- How to use a strengths-based advocacy approach to validate and normalize survivor experiences while providing resources and information about trauma.
This 2-hour interactive practice session builds on the information presented in MiVAN’s Trauma Across the Lifespan webinar series and provides a facilitated space to practice advocacy skills and exercises. Completion of the webinar series is a pre-requisite for workshop registration.
Date and Time
- March 15 from 1:00PM EST – 3:00PM EST
- May 17 from 10:00AM EST – 12:00PM EST
- September 13 from 10:00AM EST – 12:00PM EST
Engaging the Mind-body connection
Recognizing when someone may be experiencing a trauma response such as getting triggered is an important advocacy skill that will help prevent re-traumatizing survivors and promote recovery and healing. Responding to triggers with simple, evidence-based mind-body tools like breathing and grounding exercises can be an empowering way for survivors to move forward through their healing. Interactive breakout sessions and group practice, facilitated by experienced trainers, will offer an opportunity to check skills in recognizing trauma reactions and practice responding with various mind-body tools.
In this workshop, we will discuss:
- Identifying different types of triggered responses.
- Recognizing when it is appropriate to introduce mind-body tools.
- Responding to specific triggered reactions with mind-body exercises.
- Using a strengths-based approach to help survivors become more aware fo their own internal state and develop healthy coping skills for hyperarousal and dissociation using mind-body tools.
This 2-hour interactive practice session builds on the information presented in MiVAN’s Trauma Across the Lifespan webinar series and provides a facilitated space to practice advocacy skills and exercises. Completion of the webinar series is a pre-requisite for workshop registration.
Date and Time
- March 22 from 1:00PM EST – 3:00PM EST
- May 24 from 1:00PM EST – 3:00PM EST
- September 20 from 10:00AM EST – 12:00PM EST
Resources and materials
Visit Trauma-informed Practices to see the workshop materials from last year, now in Spanish!