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.

Meet Your Trainer: Angela Marie MacDougall – Leading Expert in Gender-Based Violence Advocacy & Training

For over 30 years, Angela Marie MacDougall has been a highly sought-after trainer, educator, and advocate, equipping frontline workers, service providers, and community members with the skills needed to support survivors of domestic violence, intimate partner violence, and gender-based violence.

Angela’s expertise is rooted in real-world experience, evidence-based practices, and a deep commitment to intersectional, trauma- and violence-informed approaches. She has trained thousands of professionals, including anti-violence workers, social workers, legal advocates, counsellors, mental health practitioners, and community organizers, ensuring they have the tools to respond effectively to survivors’ needs.

Comprehensive, Evidence-Based Training Rooted in Real-World Experience

With over 30 years of frontline experience, Angela has designed and led high-impact training programs that equip professionals with proven, victim and survivor-centred advocacy strategies. Her expertise is built on leading teams, conducting community-based research, and driving advocacy efforts to improve responses to gender-based violence. Angela ensures that every trainee gains practical, evidence-based tools drawn from real-world practice, frontline engagement, and cutting-edge research—preparing them to effectively support survivors and navigate complex systems.

Why Train with Angela?

• Decades of Training Experience: Angela has designed, developed, and delivered training programs since the 1990s, shaping how professionals across Canada, the U.S., and internationally respond to gender-based violence.
• Intersectional, Trauma- and Violence-Informed Approach: Angela’s training integrates a feminist, anti-oppression lens that recognizes the impact of colonialism, systemic racism, mental wellness, and substance use on survivors.
• Engaging, Practical, and Transformative Learning: Trainees gain hands-on, actionable skills through interactive workshops, case studies, and expert guidance on safety planning, lethality assessment, advocacy strategies, and systemic navigation.
• A Trainer Who Understands Systemic Barriers: As a bi-racial Black woman who grew up confronting racism, misogyny, and systemic violence, Angela brings lived experience and political analysis to her training, making her an authentic and relatable educator.

Who Has Angela Trained?

Angela has led training for a wide range of professionals and organizations, including:

• Community-based anti-violence organizations
• Transition house workers and frontline service providers
• Legal advocates, lawyers, and justice system professionals
• Social workers, counsellors, and mental health practitioners
• University faculty, students, and researchers
• Government and policy-makers working to improve gender-based violence responses

Recognition & Leadership

Angela’s longstanding leadership in the gender equity movement has earned her numerous accolades, including being named a Remarkable Woman by the City of Vancouver and one of Vancouver Magazine’s most powerful people. She is a founding member of organizations like Feminists Deliver, the February 14th Women’s Memorial March, and the Intersectional Feminist Justice Research and Organizing Collaborative, all dedicated to advancing justice for survivors.

As the Executive Director of Battered Women’s Support Services (BWSS), Angela Marie MacDougall has been a driving force in developing trauma- and violence-informed interventions across crisis response, counselling, legal advocacy, and systemic change initiatives. Under her leadership, BWSS has expanded its frontline services and advocacy efforts, designed in the interest of victims and survivors receiving comprehensive, survivor-centred support while advancing policy and systemic reforms to address gender-based violence at its root.

Train with an Expert. Advocate with Confidence.

If you’re looking for a trainer with deep expertise, a commitment to empowerment, and a track record of transforming advocacy efforts, Angela Marie MacDougall is the instructor you want. Her dynamic, engaging, and high-impact training sessions will equip you with the knowledge, skills, and confidence to effectively support survivors and drive meaningful change.

Join one of Angela’s training programs and become a stronger advocate in the fight against gender-based violence.