Advanced Clinical Practice with Trauma

Catalog description

This advanced clinical practice course provides students with an understanding of the sociopolitical context of trauma and its impact on neurobiology, health, mental health, social relationships, and community functioning, as well as assessment and treatment strategies for children and families affected by trauma. The course will be taught through a developmental lens including examination of the effects and treatment of trauma during infancy and toddlerhood, the pre-school years, school-age years, adolescence and adulthood. Students will learn about evidence-based approaches for addressing trauma at the individual, family, school, and community levels. The course will explore the complexity of responses to and recovery from trauma which depend on a multitude of variables including the intersection of culture, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, immigration status, and faith traditions among others. The course prepares students to recognize symptoms and behaviors associated with trauma and the factors that mitigate or aggravate the impact of trauma. Students will be exposed to a range of empirically-supported treatment models for individuals as well as systemic approaches. Students will learn about how caregivers including therapists can experience secondary trauma and the importance of self-care while undertaking trauma work.