CPD Trauma-Specialised Workshops (via Zoom)
All our workshops are experiential (via Zoom), focusing on learning complex trauma competencies that can be immediately applied to your work. Experiential learning is powerful because collaboration and personal learning from each other accelerates learning and ownership of the subject matter. Currently, we offer standalone 1 or 2-day workshops that can be booked in any order, or you can join a structured course on the Advanced Certified Complex Trauma Practitioner Course
See what others have to say about their transformative experiences with us—click here to read their testimonials
Our Annual Members (join here) get up to 25% discount (CPD workshops, conferences and other events)
Currently, we offer 1- and 2-day ZOOM courses with 8 - 14 participants, depending on the group.
At the Complex Trauma Institute (CTI), we are dedicated to empowering professionals who work with traumatised individuals. Our approach is rooted in somatic, neurobiological, systemic, and community-based methods that promote recovery within relationships and communities. We believe in practising what we preach. Our goal is to create a professional community where you feel safe, valued, and supported. Just as trauma survivors need communities to recover, professionals like you deserve a space to connect and grow. By fostering cross-disciplinary collaboration, we can make a meaningful difference in trauma recovery work.
2 days - (Fri- Sat) - 28/29th Nov 25
Zoom workshop, 12 CPD hours
9:00 - 16:00- UK time - both days
£99 Annual Members, Others: £129
1 day - (Sat) 21st June 25
Zoom workshop, 7 CPD hours
9:00 - 16:30- UK time
£64Annual Members, Others: £80
Or read more about this and other workshops below
(please scroll down this long page).
Stage 1
Safety & Stabilisation course is the base for the majority of our other courses. Please be aware that our Safety & Stabilisation workshop also covers an introduction to Stage 3 interventions. Anyone in a professional capacity can attend
1. Stage 1. Safety & Stabilisation (Zoom)- Complex Trauma Work during the 1st phase of trauma recovery (managing Intrusive Memories, Thoughts, Nightmares, Anxiety, depression, Somatisation, boundary issues + more ) (from 9:00 to 16:00- UK time)- 12 CPD hours (£119 for Annual CTI MEMBERS, Early Booking for Others: £140)
* (Fri- Sat) - 17th/18th Jan 25 - Zoom workshop (waiting list ) (Sold out )
* (Sat/Sun) - 8th/9th March 25 - Zoom workshop (already fully booked, and there is no waiting list)
* (Fri- Sat) - 16th/17th May 25 - Zoom workshop (2 places left)
* (Fri- Sat) - 18th/19th July 25 - Zoom workshop
Scroll down to read more
2. Introduction to Psychological First Aid - in-house workshop - contact here
3. Dealing with Secondary Trauma impact, Vicarious Traumatisation and Burnout (for professionals supporting trauma survivors)- in-house workshop - contact here
4. Working with Children: Helping Children Cope with Trauma - in-house workshop - contact here
Stage 2
We recommend starting with the Safety & Stabilization (Stage 1) workshop. However, please feel free to book other workshops if you have already been introduced to the stabilization stage. Please note that that Herman’s Staged model is not a linear model in reality. Each of our Stage 2 workshops also covers Stage 1 and Stage 3 interventions.
Please feel free to book these workshops in any order
1. Therapeutic Tools: Working with Dreams, Night Terrors, and Nightmares: moving from managing to integration of traumatic memories (from 9am to 16:30)- 7 CPD hours £64 for Annual CTI MEMBERS. for Others: £80
* (1 day - Sat) 21st June 25
2. Working with Intrusive Memory Experiences (Flashbacks) -moving from managing to integration of traumatic memories (from 9:00 to 16:00- UK time); - £80 - 7 CPD hours, £64 for CTI MEMBERS
* (1 day - Sat) 1st Nov 2025
3. Healing from Shame and Guilt: Managing Intrusive Thoughts and Inner Voices (including work with Adult Survivors of Childhood Trauma )- moving from managing to integration of intrusive thoughts (from 9:00 to 16:00)- 12 CPD hours, (£99 -Annual Members or £129 for others ):
* (2 days - Fri- Sat) - 28/29th Nov 25
Scroll down to read more
4. Stage 2 - the Rewind Technique - Working with Intrusive memory experiences
The Muss Rewind Technique (MRT) – 12 CPD hours (online interactive recorded course ) - (discounted £95 ) PAY HERE
Stage 3
We advise anyone interested in joining the Fear & Attachment workshop to attend our Fear & the Therapist workshop first
1. Stage 3. Fear and the Therapist (2 half day workshop to help therapists recognise and regulate their Fear System responses in their work with clients) - 6 CPD hours
(£64 for CTI MEMBERS, Others: £80)
(Sat- Sun) 4-5 October or 22-23 Nov 2025 (from 9:30 to 12:30 UK time)
2. Stage 3. Fear and Attachment (2 half day workshop -An online weekend workshop exploring the impact of our fear system responses on our ability to give and seek care in our personal lives and in our work as therapists)(from 9:30 to 12:30) - 6 CPD hours
(£64 for CTI MEMBERS, Others: £80)
(Sat- Sun) 3-4th May 2025 (from 9:30 to 12:30 UK time)
(Sat- Sun) 24-25th Jan 2026 (from 9:30 to 12:30 UK time)
Other
Workshops suitable for non-mental health professionals as well as well as clinicians.
1 Introduction to Psychological First Aid - in-house workshop (only)
2. Dealing with Secondary Trauma impact, Vicarious Traumatisation and Burnout (for any professionals supporting trauma survivors) - in-house workshop (only).
3. Working with Children: Helping Children Cope with Trauma - in-house workshop - contact here
Meet Some of Our Training Facilitators
Dzmitry Karpuk is a Family and Systemic Psychotherapist. He is registered with the Association for Family Therapy and Systemic Practice (AFT) and the UK Council for Psychotherapy (UKCP). He has considerable experience of working with traumatised clients for around 35 years. His particular interests include supporting professionals who work with traumatised and vulnerable clients, and those with burnout and secondary trauma impact. Dzmitry has significant experience of delivering trauma-related training to various professionals, both nationally and internationally. He is also a trainer and team member of Blake Emergency Services, Suicide Bereavement UK & the Complex Trauma Institute. He regularly provides individual and group supervision to a wide range of clinicians & non-mental health professionals (e.g. national organisations like Family Action, Migrant Help, Migration Yorkshire, Rape Crisis etc).
Celia Dawson is a Co-ordinator at the International Focusing Institute (USA) who originally trained as a person-centred psychotherapist, BA, Dip.PCAI(GB). Celia Dawson has been working as a counsellor for over 25 years. For many years she ran a small counselling service in Bradford. On retirement, she has continued with a small private practice, but her passion lies in teaching body-focused interventions and providing support to professionals working with traumatized clients.
Michael Guilding has been a counsellor and psychotherapist for 30 years. Michael now devotes his time to writing and training. After a career in senior management in Royal Mail, he retrained as a therapist and worked for over a decade in the NHS where he was Head of Primary Care Counselling within the York and Selby NHS trust. For a number of years his clinical supervisor was Dr Una McCluskey who introduced him to her own work on therapeutic attunement and to the work of Dorothy Heard and Brian Lake on adult attachment. This sparked his interest in the biological fear system and its impact on our patterns of attachment.
Further work on the fear system helped Michael to realise the profound importance of the work of Stephen Porges and his Polyvagal Theory for the practice of psychotherapy and the necessity of working with the body in the treatment of complex trauma. Michael has written several papers for the Complex Trauma Institute Journal on the theory of complex trauma (which he sees as a biological fear-system disorder) and the practical applications of this theory for psychotherapy.
Dr David Muss has founded and developed The Rewind Therapy (RT) or Rewind Technique, in the early '90s. Since 1988, Dr. Muss has worked as the Director of the PTSD UNIT at the BMI Hospital, Birmingham , UK. His desire to share the Rewind Technique led him, once retired, to train as many people as possible and over the last few years has had the privilege of being invited to train many charitable organisations in the UK, Australia, Romania Italy, and South Africa.
Suggestions for Enhancing Accessibility and Inclusivity: Form here
Stage 1 - Safety & Stabilisation - Complex Trauma Work during the 1st phase of trauma recovery - (Single, Multiple & Childhood Trauma)
This workshop mainly focuses on how to support trauma survivors of PTSD & CPTSD who are at the beginning of their recovery where their main goal is Stabilisation & Establishment of Safety. This workshop is suitable for beginner practitioners working with trauma as it focusses on the first phase of trauma recovery where the body focused approach is most suitable to create safety and emotional stability. At the same, professionals with extensive experience in working with trauma often attend our workshops as we all know the learning process never stops in our field. These professionals will certainly expand their set of tools by enhancing creative techniques and will have an opportunity to learn much needed self-care techniques to prevent secondary trauma impact.
All of our courses are built around Herman’s Three Stage Model of Trauma Recovery; with the first stage, Safety and Stabilisation, being the most important one. Very often trauma victims suffer from symptoms ranging from hypervigilance, anger, and extreme emotion to pain, depression and immobility. We look at ways to build up resources for trauma sufferers, both external and internal safety, including coping strategies for dealing with their symptoms. This course gives and suggests creative ways/techniques to bring clients into the “window of tolerance” because it is impossible to work with someone who is suffering the after-effects of trauma without first making them feel safe and helping them to find resources within themselves to help them manage their emotions. This work involves creating emotional stability (learning how to avoid being overcome with emotions) which brings the client into the “window of tolerance” where further trauma processing work can be done.
Participants will be introduced & practice 7 Complex Trauma competences:
-
Prevention and Management of Vicarious Trauma
-
Clinical Formulation & Goal settings based on extended assessment (short-term contracting, multi-interventions. etc)
-
Psychoeducation (as normalising & motivational tool )
-
Short term interventions (Self-regulation)- Trigger management – Relaxation skills, calm down using 7 sensory systems, body reactions, active vs passive relaxation, establishing safety & internal resources.
-
Long term interventions (Self-regulation)- Relaxation skills, skills building (modelling-coaching)
-
Long term interventions (Co-regulation)- to reconnect a client to stable adults and services where client can learn how to self-regulate. Identifying & Managing & Reducing unhealthy/addictive behaviours
-
Enhancing Safety and Risk Prevention (support a client independently prevent & manage their risky/ unhealthy behaviours before ending therapeutic episode)
We advise anyone who is interested in joining other groups to attend this workshop as a Stage 1 course is the base for majority of our other courses.
Working with Intrusive Memory Experiences (Flashbacks)
across Stage 1 and Stage 2 of the Phased Recovery Model
This module focuses on how to further support trauma recovery when trauma survivors of Single or Multiple trauma are ready for Trauma Processing of Intrusive Memory Experiences. This programme helps you to develop additional techniques and strategies essential to healing traumatic life situations presented by many clients. This is based on Phase 2 of Herman’s model, where safety and internal resources are in place so that work on the actual trauma can be done by using Systemic , Experiential, Embodied approaches. This is a stage where we support safe re-integration of traumatic experiences.
This course will briefly revisit Stage 1 to reemphasize the importance of establishing safety and stability by creating a secure therapeutic environment and using sensory processing, grounding techniques, and more to manage PTSD & CPTSD symptoms. Understanding trauma and intrusive memories involves explaining how trauma affects the brain differently and using visual aids for better engagement. Resource building includes teaching self-regulation techniques such as deep breathing and progressive muscle relaxation, along with co-regulation interventions. We will introduce methods of externalizing intrusive memories, starting with positive memories and connecting physical sensations to emotional responses. Processing these memories also involves working with implicit memories using embodied and sensorimotor techniques to avoid re-traumatisation. Finally, planning for future steps includes systemic interventions such as discussing referrals to community resources, creating a plan to gradually reduce therapy sessions, and reconnecting with other professionals and significant others as clients gain confidence in managing their symptoms.
Trauma is a “stuck” process in the body and we utilise embodied, experiential and systemic techniques to resolve blocks so that traumatic memory can be integrated into our normal memory system. We use indirect imaginal exposure processing which avoids re-triggering clients (e.g. narrative is the one of the main triggers) so that they are more likely to stay within the therapeutic window of tolerance (Briere and Scott, 2006).
As a result of this training, participants will learn:
-
how trauma-related intrusive memories can manifest physically in the body and learn techniques to support their reintegration into your clients' healing journey.
-
manage flashbacks by shifting from narrative to embodied experiences.
-
break down intrusive memories into manageable parts, supporting their integration while ensuring the client remains within their window of tolerance, avoiding re-traumatisation.
We are always keeping in mind the fact that CPD workshops are an extended part of our participants’ support system. All of our workshops incorporate a self-care dimension and, it is also worth saying that, all of our workshops are experiential. This means that our participants learn through reflecting on the experiences they get from doing different exercises.
Therapeutic Tools: Working with Dreams, Night Terrors, and Nightmares (Complex Trauma Work (Single, Multiple & Childhood) across Stage 1 and Stage 2 of the Phased Recovery Model)
Nightmares are a classic symptom of PTSD & CPTSD and this course provides a simple, step-by-step approach to working with nightmares that minimises the danger of re-traumatisation. We also introduce participants to the work with ordinary dreams. Finding a way to avoid re-traumatisation is an essential part of working with people suffering from trauma. Trauma is a “blocked” process that needs processing so that it can be stored and remembered the same way as normal memories. Contemporary research has shown that nightmares and other sleep disturbances can be “stuck” patterns. Some approaches to working with trauma suggest that nightmares can be alleviated if the person can change the ending (e.g. Gehrman and Harb, 2010). However, if this is done by consciously rehearsing the narrative of the nightmare, it can lead to re-traumatisation, distress, and drop-out from therapy.
Based on systemic, embodied and trauma recovery approaches we support trauma clients to stay within the therapeutic window by beginning the therapy session with safety and stabilization. Working with nightmares involves re-visiting the trauma (in some way) and it is not always possible for sufferers to do this until they are stable and have the resources to calm themselves if they become triggered by the work. Using our framework, as the client processes the content of the trauma, they are able to stay in the present, aware of bodily sensations, and not become flooded by emotion. As a result of this work, the negative elements of the nightmare are transformed, allowing the client to move on from the “stuck” process.
Working with embodied experiences connected to trauma is a much more gentle exposure than working with the traumatic narrative. Because narrative can be a powerful trigger, we use indirect imaginal exposure processing so that clients are more likely to stay within the therapeutic window (Briere and Scott, 2006).
In this workshop, our participants learn through reflecting on the experiences they get from doing different exercises.
As a result of this training, participants will learn:
-
Assess and manage the impact of insomnia, nightmares, and night terrors on clients.
-
Support clients in shifting from narrative to embodied experiences to process and integrate nightmare content, utilising body and memory mapping to externalise these experiences.
-
how nightmare content can manifest physically in the body and learn techniques to reintegrate these distressing experiences safely and effectively, without retraumatisation.
-
Deconstruct nightmares into manageable parts and facilitate externalising conversations, ensuring clients remain within their window of tolerance to prevent re-traumatisation. By breaking the nightmare into its various components, these elements can be processed individually, allowing the client to reprocess the nightmare without rehearsing the painful narratives that may re-traumatise them.
-
how ordinary dreams can be broken into their various components to help the client process the whole dream;
-
how nightmare and dream re-processing can be incorporated into counselling or psychotherapy sessions.
Through this training, participants are introduced to systemic, experiential and embodied techniques in nightmare and dream re-processing. For the purposes of training and research, we are collaborating with Tom Stoneham (a philosophy professor) and several researchers at the University of York. Tom has developed a Cultural–Social Model of dreams, which provides an alternative theoretical foundation for working with dreams and nightmares. The theory postulates that our dream content is largely determined by external social and cultural factors whereas most theories heavily rely on internal psychological processes.
To read some of our most recent feedback please click on this link
Healing from Shame and Guilt: Managing Intrusive Thoughts and Inner Voices
Complex Trauma Work across Stage 1 and Stage 2 of the Phased Recovery Model
The main focus of this workshop will be on how safely approach Intrusive Thoughts (including childhood trauma) and how to manage & support integration of self as a whole. We will introduce Phase-Oriented approach to post-trauma treatment of intrusive thoughts with a focus on working with shame and guilt.
Childhood Trauma, especially imposed by people in positions of affection and authority, create long term difficulties with trust, intimacy, and dependency. This traumatization causes profound vulnerability and vigilance which continue affecting adults in their late lives. They are often left to deal with overwhelming experiences that are normally held in their bodies. These overwhelming experiences become the reason why these adults disconnect from being present and it greatly impacts on the way they connect with other people. Adult survivors often cannot get body senses as their past memories are very painful physically and psychologically. Therefore they ‘dissociate’ from their feelings and body experiences which is a protective process simply helping them to survive.
This two-day workshop will be experiential and you will learn about effective Systemic , Experiential, Embodied techniques when working with trauma. These techniques will add an important link between the body's stored knowledge of the impacts of the past difficult life of past difficult life situations and their impacts. We examine the embodied approach to the trauma which has been “stuck”. We first establish safety & internal resources for the client, before going on to approach those “parts” that are stuck and enable them to be processed and integrated. We also work with negative self talk - ‘Inner critical voice’ metaphor which are a feature of CPTSD.
Participants will learn how to:
-
Assess and manage intrusive thoughts, shame, and guilt, as well as applying effective techniques to process and integrate distressing experiences in the context of CPTSD. Participants will also learn the differences between PTSD and CPTSD.
-
Utilize body and memory mapping to externalize intrusive thoughts and critical voices, reframing negative self-talk to promote healthier self-perceptions.
-
Support clients in re-engaging in daily activities and relationships to foster sustained well-being.
To read some of our most recent feedback please click on this link
Stage 3: Fear & The Therapist + Fear & Attachment
Complex Trauma Work during the third stage of Trauma Recovery
“No productive work is going to take place between the caregiver and careseeker until the therapist (the caregiver) can recognize the activation of his or her own fear system, and how it infiltrates the organization of his or her self.” (Una McCluskey 2011[1])
Fear & The Therapist - When we work with complex trauma, we are working first and foremost with the biological fear system which has become dysregulated and cannot de-activate. When we work with our clients’ fear responses, our own fear responses are powerfully activated. We cannot work effectively with complex trauma unless we become really familiar with our own fear system and the defensive “default settings” we have developed over our lifetime. Michael Guilding’s workshop “Fear and the Therapist” conducted over two half-days is focused on helping therapists to recognise the activation of their own fear system responses and explore ways of regulating these responses more effectively. This provides an important foundation for Stage 1 trauma work, a framework within which to conduct Stage 2 work, and introduces a way of working ideally suited for Stage 3 trauma work.
Michael’s second workshop “Fear and Attachment” moves on to explore the second requirement in the quotation above – recognising how our fear system responses infiltrate the organisation of the self. What this means is that the fear system profoundly affects our patterns of attachment – changing the way we relate to others and to our self. This workshop introduces a framework for understanding this impact, focusing on two key attachment systems which are critical for therapeutic work – caregiving and careseeking. We explore how these systems are operating in our personal lives and in our work and look at changes we might make to caregive and careseek less defensively and more effectively, in the process reconnecting ourselves with the world and with others. This gives a theoretical understanding and also personal insight into Stage 3 of trauma work.
[1] McCluskey, U. (2011). The Therapist as a fear free caregiver supporting change in the dynamic organisation of the self, Association for University and College Counselling (AUCC) Journal, May 2011, 12-17.
Working with Children: Helping Children Cope with Trauma
To read some of our most recent feedback please click on this link
Introduction to Psychological First Aid
For field workers and professionals including range of helping work contexts on how to support survivors of trauma, crisis and disasterSupporting others,supporting ourselves (for field workers and professionals including range of helping work contexts on how to support survivors of trauma, crisis and disaster).
We offer in-house workshops
Please contact us to discuss your requirements.
Aim
To develop an understanding of how to support trauma survivors (families, adults and children) in distress/mental health issues and also understanding of how to make a referral to an appropriate service.
Objectives
By the end of the session, participants will:
-
Develop an understanding of psychological and emotional behaviours of trauma survivors resulting from significant single or complex traumas (6 automatic distress reactions + main needs of trauma survivors clients that help to spot early signs of mental health issues)
-
Develop an understanding of how mental health professionals support traumatised clients, why some of the services can only support trauma survivors who at the beginning of trauma recovery (new arrivals) and other services unable to offer this mental health support . Subsequently, it will help to - understand how to make appropriate referrals.
-
Develop an understanding of how to support trauma survivors at the beginning of trauma recovery (e.g. new arrivals) by learning the main components and steps of Psychological First Aid (designed for non-mental health professionals and adapted for the multiple needs of trauma survivors ).
-
Be introduced to the basic skills of managing emotional distress (simple tools that prevent further deterioration - group exercises will be offered).
-
Be introduced to secondary trauma impact and why self-care skills are important when supporting trauma survivors .
We also specialise in delivering bespoke training courses in-house by tailoring lively, engaging and accessible experiential training content based on agencies’ needs at a venue of your choice. We provide a wide range of learning opportunities from very experienced trainers. With budgets and resources shrinking, the pricing of our in-house training is highly competitive with substantial discount for the Voluntary sector, popular topics:
-
Psychological First Aid
-
Working with Vicarious Trauma and Burn Out
-
Working with Children: Helping Children Cope with Trauma
In addition, do get in touch with us if you have a venue that can host up to 15 people so we can deliver our already established or tailored courses.
Contact us here for more details
Introduction to the Crisis Support and Stabilisation Course
This course is designed for professionals who support individuals during and in the aftermath of crises and traumatic events. It covers key areas essential to managing crisis situations effectively, including Vicarious Traumatisation Prevention, Psychological First Aid for both young people and adults, and short-term and long-term interventions. The course adopts a collaborative approach, emphasising the importance of reflective practice for professionals working in high-stress environments. You will gain the tools and skills needed to manage trauma effectively and prevent burnout, ensuring optimal support for those in crisis.
The course is available in two formats: as a comprehensive programme or as individual modules that can be tailored to the needs of your team. It can be delivered agency-based, online, or face-to-face, offering flexibility to suit different learning preferences.
Upon completion, CPD certificates will be provided.