Workshop One - Kate McAlpine Trauma Informed Yoga and Gong Bath

Ground your awareness into the body using somatic movement and conscious breath work, tapping into elevated emotions and rejuvenating the mind and body.
Kate will be highlighting the importance of the quality of our thoughts. Learn how to manage the mind and stimulate the release of feel good hormones to raise your vibration, amplify your energetic field and boost your immune function.
The practice will help shed the stories that hold us back. Releasing what does not serve,  letting go of what is no longer helpful, reminding us how we have the power to change how we feel.
Finishing with a gong bath relaxation.

Workshop Two - Kati Taunt & Panelists: Nichola Green, Mark Maidens, Sophie Mulvana - The Driving and Restraining forces relating to the Implementation of Trauma-Informed Practice in a variety of settings using the ARC Framework

This workshop will provide an overview of the well respected and evidence-based approach to working with developmental trauma that is the ARC Framework (Attachment, Regulation and Competence). A panel of experienced professionals from 3 different contexts (adolescent psychiatric in-patient services, specialist education provision for primary aged children and social care secure unit) will share their reasons for choosing to become trauma-informed, what drew them to the ARC framework. The panel will also share their experiences of the  driving forces to implementation and restraining forces within their contexts and wider systems that needed to be undone to enable this.
Learning Outcomes:
1. Will have an understanding of The ARC framework and how it supports children and families to get back on track and integrate their experiences of trauma.
2. Will have gained insight as to how the model can be adapted for a variety of educational, social care and health settings.
3. Will have been able to understand the nature of driving and restraining forces in relation to implementing Trauma-Informed Practice in a variety of settings
4. Will have knowledge of how some restraining forces can be undone.

Break - Tea, Coffee & Fruit Networking with delegates and exhibitors

Workshop Three - Jane Shaw - SIMPLE Listening™ for regulation, rest, and recovery.

In this workshop Jane Shaw will take you through SIMPLE Listening™ embodiment practices to give you an experience of how effective short accessible exercises can be in many different, sometimes complex, situations.
  SIMPLE Listening™ is a Polyvagal-informed programme developed to promote biological safety and nervous system regulation, based on the principles of neurobiology, Jungian psychology and biodynamic craniosacral therapy. It uses the anagram SIMPLE to denote a series of accessible, simple practices that stimulate the cranial nerves involved in the social engagement system, fostering safety in the autonomic nervous system. SIMPLE stands for Somatic awareness, Intuitive inquiry, Mindful Movement, Play and creative practices, whole body Listening and Effortless action.
  Learning Outcomes:
1.Learn simple embodiment practices to promote nervous system regulation as self-care
2.Identify the felt-sense awareness of different autonomic states, including the difference between a shut-down, immobilised state and present non-doing
3.Understand how to best foster a safety state through practices that suit your unique self
4.Learn how to develop resources to promote adaptability and resilience

Workshop Four - Reflection Time

Delegates are invited to pause, recharge, and engage in moments of introspection. Take a break from the whirlwind of sessions and networking.
Whether you seek quiet contemplation, journaling, meditation, or simply a moment of respite, this time offers an opportunity to reconnect with yourself and recharge.
Feel free to unwind, reflect on the insights gained, and nurture your well-being as you continue your journey of growth and discovery at the conference.

Lunch - Networking with delegates and exhibitors

Workshop Five - Nomfundo Walaza - Reflections on the Impact of Trauma In Our Work As Practitioners

Evidence is rife that we each carry some measure of trauma with us as we approach our vocations. Whether our trauma is personal, familial, generational or whether it is because we are part of a group that has been the victims of ongoing violence, torture, genocide, racism or oppression, we bring the remnants of that trauma and our woundedness into our everyday work. We carry the scars of those who walked the path before us, and we have the capacity to pass those scars consciously or unconsciously to the next generations.
  As a Black South African woman who grew up in an apartheid society and served the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of South Africa in various roles, I am constantly aware of how these experiences shape my approach to the work I do today. There is much to consider in why and how I approach these issues in 2024, in the world that is so beleaguered with trauma and suffering.
  I believe it is important to continue asking these questions: how do we understand the impact of our own trauma and experiences and how do we understand the impact of the trauma of those who sit across the table from us? What does it truly mean to be compassionate as we look at ways of healing trauma in a world that is so divided and deeply impacted by historic and cultural backgrounds? If we dare to sit with people who come from vastly different worldviews, how can we begin to understand their experiences? In our largely white male dominated community, how do we truly become compassionate and inclusive and open to the ideas of others? I believe we have much to learn from each other so we can contribute to a diverse world that is full of hope and healing.
  Of course, we may not obtain the answers we seek, but we can be brave enough to ask questions in a manner that forces us to pause, truly listen and become compassionate practitioners.
  As I prepare to join the summit, I think of the following question. How does my own trauma of growing up in apartheid South Africa impact the work I do today? What did I learn from the successes and failures of the TRC? More importantly, how does that impact my work going forward? What do I bring to this table to add to the dialogue acknowledging how marginalized I feel to even be a part of this group? How do I maintain hope and continue to learn and grow enough to create a path forward for my generation and those who will follow us?

Break - Tea, Coffee & Biscuits Networking with delegates and exhibitors

Book Signing - Deb Dana & Dan Siegel

END OF WORKSHOPS FOR DAY TWO

Workshop One - Janina Fisher Unresolved Trauma and Addictive Disorders

Childhood abuse and neglect leave a lasting imprint on the brain and nervous system.  With a traumatised brain, individuals are left with overwhelming memories, little tolerance for emotion or stress, and very limited ability to access good judgment. The result is heightened vulnerability to compulsive behavior and substance abuse. Research tells us that 40-70% of clients in addictions recovery programs have histories of trauma. Inevitably, many therapists find themselves working with individuals whose trauma recoveries are complicated by substance abuse and patterns of self-harm.  Often, we are told that the client has to be sober to undertake trauma treatment or we are taught that addressing the underlying issuesof trauma should be the first priority.  But only treatment strategies that address both trauma related responses and their addictive behavior simultaneously can adequately address the challenges faced by these clients.
Learning Outcomes:
1.Articulate the effects of trauma on the brain and autonomic nervous system
2.Assess client symptoms indicative of autonomic dysregulation
3.Evaluate the role of addictive behavior as a response to traumatic activation
4.Utilize interventions that regulate brain and autonomic function in traumatized clients

Workshop Two - Mariel Buque Working Through the Wounds of Generational Trauma

In this talk, Dr. Mariel Buqué will offer an exploration of how intergenerational trauma and the historical imprints it leaves behind, create emotional wounds that remain etched in our minds, bodies, spirits, and cultures for generations. Mariel will cover how traumas resulting from genocide, famine, erasure, and marginalization can get carried for generations and can get carried for generations and the necessary multilevel healing frameworks that need to be instituted in order to carve a path toward sustainable repair at the individual, familal and communal level.
Learning Outcomes:
1. Gather an understanding of what intergenerational trauma is
2. Learn how intergenerational trauma perpetuates as a multi-level wound
3. Understand what needs to be integrated to work with intergenerational trauma with clients
4. Understand how to approach emotional repair at all levels of wounding

Break - Tea, Coffee & Fruit Networking with delegates and exhibitors

Workshop Three - Fritzi Horstman Step Inside the Circle - Experiential Session

Step inside the Circle is a call to action: to spread the word about Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs). It is a call to recognise the physical, emotional and social impact ACEs have wrought upon society and to stress the importance of care (not punishment) going forward in the prison system. In-depth exploration of the devastating effects of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) on men and women living behind bars.

Workshop Four - Lisa Schwarz - CRM EQUUS:  Partnering with Horses to Expand the Impact and Reach of the Comprehensive Resource Model

Transformational change and growth that is permanent requires that the healing and/or coaching work be done from a fully embodied state; meaning the client is fully aware and present in his or her body during the process in order for the positive gains to be maintained.  Many of us live disconnected from our bodies and our conscious awareness resulting in the inability to get to the deepest source of the problem in the mind-body-spirit complex. Consequently, the work can not be done in the deep brain as needed and positive healing effects are temporary.
The Comprehensive Resource Model (CRM®) or Equine-Assisted Therapy, when used separately, provide the neurobiological, neurochemical and emotional safety that promotes full embodiment.  This allows access to, and transformation of, the deepest origins and roots of blocks, obstacles and traumatic wounds that impede our highest potential as human beings.   Combined, these two powerful sources of multi-faceted resources allow for a level of embodiment and transformation that is fast and permanent.  Our partnership with horses is one of allegiance, presence and understanding. At CRM EQUUS, we partner with free-roaming horses who are neither subjugated nor used for human gratification CRM EQUUS philosophy lies in the knowledge that horses, in their natural habitat, free to fully express themselves, are the greatest teachers, allowing us to explore and develop ourselves as empowered, embodied and free individuals. We experience that dominance, constraints, or tools of control are not conducive to relationships with horses. Like any relationship, the willingness to see ourselves clearly, with trust, courage, compassion and self-honoring, allows the horse freedom to be a willing partner, pointing us inward, toward our true nature, the Self as the resource.

Lunch - Networking with delegates and exhibitors

Workshop Five - Thomas Hübl Collective Trauma:  How the Ghosts of our Collective Past Shape our Lives 

In this talk, Thomas Hübl, PhD, will guide us on an interactive journey, diving deeply into the underbelly of our cultures, that which we might perceive as the “ghosts” of our collective past. What happens when we allow these voices of the “ghosts” to speak? What are the symptoms of their presence in our lives?  Thomas  will illuminate the importance of understanding the impacts of individual, ancestral, and collective trauma on our lives, and the essential tools and practices needed for collective healing. While individual therapy is important for the healing process, large-scale cultural and systemic wounds are often at the root of collective pain, which requires collective spaces for integration and healing. In his more than 20 years of working in this field, Thomas has worked with thousands of people throughout the world as the world as part of group trainings and other large-scale events, teaching about the critical and urgent need to design a “collective healing architecture” to meet the colossal challenges of our current time. As part of this talk, Thomas will lead an interactive experience with participants and audience members, based his integrative approach to healing. 
Learning Outcomes:
1.Understand the fluid relationship among individual, ancestral, and collective traumas
2.Explore how trauma originates at the foundation of our cultures and societies 
3.Learning tools and practices for developing greater awareness of the needs for cultural healing

Break - Tea, Coffee & Biscuits Networking with delegates and exhibitors

Workshop Six - Sue Carter - The Oxytocin Hypothesis: Science behind the Healing Power of Love 

This presentation will examine parallels between the healing power of oxytocin and love. Based on a well-established association with reproduction, including social bonding, sexual behavior, birth and maternal behaviour, oxytocin has been called “the love hormone.”  However, oxytocin is much more, with effects on every tissue in the body. The shared functions of oxytocin, the vagus nerve and love have profound implications for health and longevity, including the prevention and treatment of excess inflammation and related disorders, especially those occurring in early life and during periods of chronic threat or disease. Awareness of the neurobiology of oxytocin helps us understand both why and how social attachments and social support can overcome threats and trauma. 
Learning Outcomes:
1. Introduction to the basic neurobiology associated with the functions of oxytocin and the vagus. 
2. The important role of oxytocin in the management of stress and trauma from developmental and evolutionary perspectives. 
3. Understanding why secure attachments are essential for wellbeing, health and longevity. 
4. Implications of oxytocin in serotonin-based treatments for mental health. 

END OF WORKSHOPS FOR DAY TWO

Workshop One - Kirkland Newman Why integrative mental health and functional medicine psychiatry are the next frontier in mental health treatment

Why is it that some patients, no matter how much evidence-based-recommended therapy they do, or medication they take, never seem to get better? Integrative mental health and functional medicine psychiatry offer hope for sustainable healing to those suffering from mental health issues, their friends, families and health practitioners. These approaches are designed to diagnose and treat the root causes of mental health issues, whether they are biochemical imbalances, psycho-spiritual difficulties or poor lifestyle-behavioural habits. Learn what integrative mental health and functional medicine psychiatry are, how they help diagnose and treat the root causes of mental health issues and why they are essential for sustainable mental health recovery. 
Learning Outcomes:
1. Learn about what integrative mental health and functional medicine psychiatry are, how they can be essential to sustainable mental health recovery, and how they differ from each other
2. Learn the most common root causes of mental health issues, with a focus on the biochemical imbalances which lead to depression, anxiety, adhd, insomnia, memory loss
3. Learn the key basic treatments for mental health issues, with a focus on the biochemical treatments that can help with depression, anxiety, adhd, insomnia, memory etc…
4. Learn about the best diagnostic tools and training programmes in integrative mental health and functional medicine psychiatry 

Workshop Two - Paul Miller - The Mind’s Healing Journey: Exploring the Potential of Psychedelics for PTSD

Professor Paul Miller delves into the ground-breaking realm of psychedelic-assisted therapy as a transformative treatment for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). This talk looks at the history and science behind psychedelics such as LSD, psilocybin, and MDMA, and their ability to facilitate profound emotional and cognitive breakthroughs. Drawing from clinical trials and patient testimonials, it highlights the potential for these substances to reshape therapeutic approaches to mental health, offering new hope to those burdened by trauma. By bridging traditional treatment gaps, this exploration invites a re-evaluation of psychedelics' place in modern mental health, emphasizing safety, ethics, and the path towards healing. It will also draw on the research underway at the Mirabilis Health Institute in Northern Ireland using methylone, a variant of MDMA, for the treatment of PTSD.
Learning Outcomes:
1. Understand the neurobiological mechanisms by which psychedelics influence psychological healing
2. Discuss current evidence from clinical trials on the efficacy & safety of psychedelic-assisted therapy in treating PTSD.
3. Identify the ethical considerations & potential risks in using psychedelics for therapeutic purposes
4. Recognize the broader implications of psychedelic research for future mental health treatments and the destigmatization of these substances.

Break - Tea, Coffee & Fruit Networking with delegates and exhibitors

Workshop Three - Ronia Fraser - Rise from the Ashes - An Introduction into Narcissistic Abuse Recovery 

Despite having become a social media buzzword, Narcissistic Abuse remains one of the most common, yet least acknowledged forms of abuse, which without fail has a detrimental and life-altering impact on the survivor's (mental) health and quality of life.
Learning Outcomes:
1. What Narcissistic Abuse really is 
2. Why it is so dangerous 
3. How to spot it in your clients, family & friends or yourself 
4. How we can facilitate the recovery from Narcissistic Abuse 
Whether you are a therapist/coach and would like to help your clients better, have a family member or friend affected, are a survivor yourself or simply are curious what all this hype is about.... this if for you!   Insightful, eye-opening and truly mind blowing. Plus your chance to get all your questions answered! 

Book Signing - Gabor Mate

Lunch - Networking with delegates and exhibitors

Workshop Five - Derek Farrell Compassion-Focussed EMDR therapy in the treatment of Moral Injury and Shame-based Trauma

Many of the symptoms experienced by traumatised individuals are insufficiently captured by the existing ICD-11/DSM 5 criterion for PTSD, particularly those symptoms include feelings of shame/ guilt, loneliness, social isolation, fear of recrimination, and moral injury. Addressing these specific elements, particularly regarding moral injury/ is increasingly important. Moral injury refers to the psychological distress resulting from events that transgress an individual's moral or ethical beliefs. Compassion Focused Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) is an emerging treatment approach for individuals experiencing moral injury. The approach integrates EMDR with compassion-focused techniques to target the shame, guilt, and self-criticism often associated with moral injury/ trauma. This presentation explores the core components of moral injury and shame-based trauma using both individual and political case studies, through the lens of Adaptive Information Processing (AIP). Specific skills within Compassion-Focussed EMDR therapy (CF-EMDR), will include CF EMDR informed case conceptualisation, psychoeducational frameworks, trauma regulation, strategies, compassion focussed interweaves, and addressing vicarious traumatisation and self-care.
Learning Outcomes:
1. Participants will consider the core components of Adaptive Information Processing (AIP) and how this applies to vulnerable & complex populations with a specific focus on moral injury and shame-based trauma
2. Participants will explore various theoretical frameworks to explicate the trauma landscape of the client’s lived experience through a moral, and compassion-focussed lens
3. Theoretical, empirical, and clinical case examples to underpin knowledge, understanding and application

Break - Tea, Coffee & Biscuits Networking with delegates and exhibitors

Workshop Six - Stephen Porges - Polyvagal Theory in a Challenging World: reclaiming our evolutionary heritage as a connected and benevolent species

Polyvagal Theory provides a new understanding of normal and atypical behavior, mental health, psychiatric disorders, and chronic illness. By incorporating an evolutionary perspective, the theory explains how regulation of autonomic function forms the neural “platform” upon which social behavior and the development of trusting relationships are based.  The theory explains how experiences of abuse and trauma may retune our nervous system to respond to friends, caregivers, and teachers as if they were enemies. Moreover, the theory explains how signals of safety reverse these challenges by optimizing autonomic state to promote homeostatic processes that support health, growth, restoration, resilience and sociality
Learning Outcomes:
1. To illustrate how a Polyvagal perspective provides insights into the assessment and treatment of mental health.
2. To describe how autonomic regulation is linked to mental health, behavioral problems, learning processes, and sociality.
3. To describe strategies to retune autonomic nervous system state via signals of safety to optimize mental and physical health
4. To describe a neural process (neuroception) that evaluates risk in the environment and triggers adaptive neural circuits that promote either social interactions or defensive behaviours.

END OF WORKSHOPS FOR DAY TWO