Creating Sanctuary: Toward the Evolution of Sane Societies

Dr. Sandra L. Bloom

Trauma Theory: Understanding the Roots of Human Pathology

This full-day seminar will offer a different way of viewing the most difficult situations we face in both the clinical setting and in the larger socio-political environment in working with traumatized children and their families. The morning will begin with a focus on the presentation of a coherent theoretical framework for understanding the root cause of a substantial proportion of psychiatric dysfunction – the violence, abuse, and neglect that human beings inflict on one another, or trauma theory. The second part of the morning will revolve around a discussion of a systemic response to such violence – the creation of nonviolent, health-promoting and humane environments – “Creating Sanctuary”. In the afternoon we will look at a treatment model, “S.E.L.F.” that can assist all caregivers in the development of a map for recovery. We will end with a discussion that includes the presentation of material about how helping work affects us – both for good and for ill – “vicarious traumatization”.

Educational Objectives:

• The participant should be able to describe the fundamental theoretical bases for a trauma-based approach to treatment.

•  The participant should be able to describe the basic assumptions underlying a trauma-based approach to the treatment of a variety of disorders.

•  The participant should be able to describe a useful model for staging treatment during a short inpatient stay

•  The participant should be able to apply concepts of how to prevent vicarious traumatization to their own personal lives