This dynamic and interactive workshop is designed for frontline workers in transition houses, mental health services, addiction workers, social workers, and community-based programs who are supporting women and gender-diverse survivors of violence and trauma.

“Deconstructing PTSD” moves beyond clinical pathologizing to explore the lived experiences of trauma, particularly for those navigating gender-based violence, colonization, systemic racism, and poverty. Grounded in trauma-and-violence-informed practice and an intersectional feminist lens, this workshop will unpack:

• The difference between PTSD and complex trauma
• How systemic oppression, power, and colonial structures shape trauma responses
• The survival logic of dissociation, hypervigilance, numbing, people-pleasing (fawning), and rage
• Judith Herman’s Three-Stage Trauma Recovery Model, revisited and reimagined for current realities
• How race, gender, class, and ability shape access to safety, healing, and justice
• What “normal” means in the context of survival — and how the dominant culture’s idealized human prototype excludes many

Participants will develop practical skills to support survivors through grounding techniques, psychoeducation, safety planning, and boundary-setting — all while preventing burnout and maintaining professional boundaries.

Who Should Attend:

Transition house workers, anti-violence advocates, legal support workers, employment counsellors, addiction and mental health counsellors, social workers, and anyone working directly with survivors of violence and trauma.

Learning Objectives:

• Understand PTSD and CPTSD through a trauma-and-violence-informed and intersectional lens
• Learn practical tools for de-escalation, emotional regulation, and collaborative communication
• Explore body-based approaches to safety and recovery
• Create safety planning strategies that honour survivor autonomy and cultural context
• Set and communicate effective boundaries with care and clarity

Format: One-day in-person or virtual training

Includes group dialogue, case-based scenarios, and downloadable tools

Outcomes:

Participants will leave with greater confidence in supporting survivors experiencing trauma responses, a deeper understanding of systemic trauma, and a renewed commitment to trauma-informed, justice-rooted practice.