Dr Sarah Stewart-Spencer
Integrating Trauma Treatment and Resilience-Building in Clinical Work: from theory to practise
An international online workshop
delivered direct from Tampa, Florida over 4 half-days
Thur 5 & Fri 6 and Thur 12 & Fri 13 MARCH 2026
Introduction
Effective trauma treatment requires not only sound theoretical knowledge, but the capacity to translate that knowledge into responsive, embodied clinical practice. This advanced four half-day experiential workshop will support practitioners and supervisors to deepen their trauma treatment skills through active application, consultation, guided practice, and self-reflection. Right on the heels of Sarah’s just published book on mastering resilience (see references and published books below), this workshop will build on foundational understandings of trauma physiology and evidence-informed frameworks to explore how resilience-building can be intentionally integrated into trauma treatment using the PEACE Resilience Model.
Workshop Overview
Across four immersive half-days, you will actively apply core trauma treatment principles through case studies, role plays, small-group consultation, and real-time feedback. The emphasis will be on clinical decision-making, therapist presence, and adaptability when working with complex trauma and high-demand populations. Alongside clinical skill development, the workshop will intentionally incorporate self-reflection and self-application, supporting you to examine countertransference, therapist resilience and the personal impact of trauma work in order to sustain ethical and effective practice.
What Sarah will cover:
- Application of core trauma-informed treatment principles across diverse clinical presentations using evidence-informed frameworks
- Integration of the PEACE Resilience Model into trauma treatment planning to support regulation, coping, and long-term resilience for both clients and clinicians
- Development and demonstration of trauma treatment skills through case conceptualisation, role play, skills practice, and structured feedback
- Exploration of countertransference, therapist presence, and self-awareness as central components of ethical decision-making and sustainable trauma practice
Overview of each day:
Day 1: Foundations of chronic stress, trauma, and effective treatment
Day 2: Trauma treatment frameworks and stabilisation skills
Day 3: Resilience, countertransference, and the PEACE Resilience Model
Day 4: Advanced application, consultation, and sustainable practice
What you can expect to walk away with:
Increased confidence and competence in translating trauma theory into effective, resilience-oriented clinical practice, alongside a strengthened capacity to remain present, regulated, and engaged in complex trauma work.
Who Should Attend
Practitioners and Supervisors seeking some advanced, experiential professional development to deepen trauma treatment skills and integrate resilience-building approaches into sustainable clinical practice.
References:
A small selection of references that will be used during the four half days:
- Agliata, A. K., & Stewart-Spencer, S. (2026). Mastering resilience: Strategies for high-demand professionals. C3: Connect. Communicate. Collaborate
- Dubi, M., Powell, P., & Gentry, J. E. (2017). Trauma, PTSD, grief & loss: The 10 core competencies for evidence-based treatment. PESI Publishing & Media
- Rhoton, R., & Gentry, J. E. (2021). Trauma competency for the 21st century: A salutogenic “active ingredients” approach to treatment. Outskirts Press
The Details
Dates: Thur 5 & Fri 6 and Thur 12 & Fri 13 MARCH 2026
Time: Please join at 8.45am to iron out any technical issues
Workshop: 9.00am to 12.30pm AEDT ( break times will be accommodated)
Location: online via zoom (registrants will receive an invitation to participate and all the details they require in advance of the date)
Cost: $520 (flat rate in AUD)
CPD Hours: 12
note to registrants:
if you have registered for other CEP international events in 2026, the registration form will show checked boxes for those. Just check the box for this registration – you do not need to uncheck the others.
Dr. Sarah Stewart-Spencer is the founder of the Integrated Wellness Institute and Stewart-Spencer Consulting. She is a co-creator of the trauma treatment protocol called Trauma-Focused Hypnotherapy (combining bilateral stimulation with hypnotherapy practices) and is a Trainer at the International Trauma Training Institute. She is the Editor and Founder of Therapeutic Speakeasy Quarterly, which is a peer-reviewed electronic journal for the helping profession. For the past two years she has served as the Editor of The Humanistic Counselor, a publication of the Association for Humanistic Counseling. Her published books include: Mastering Resilience: Strategies for High-Demand Professionals, Metaphors and Therapy: Enhancing Clinical Supervision and Education and a Routledge publication, Metaphors in Counselor Education and Supervision. These teaching guides break though ambiguity in counselor education and training by introducing a variety of metaphors to help instructors and supervisors. A third book will be published this year: Traumatology: A Primer in Trauma Treatment. Sarah has contributed to the profession through numerous publications and presentations at the local, regional, state, national and international level. She is the former Dean of Behavioural Sciences at Yorkville University, Canada’s largest and leading online counselor education graduate program. Programs there include the Master of Arts in Counselling Psychology and Doctorate in Counselling and Psychotherapy. She has also practiced in a variety of roles and settings, such as crisis/emergency, community mental health, outpatient counseling, psychiatric inpatient, court-appointed assessments, consultation, and a clinical director of a private agency. She has served in multiple leadership roles throughout the professional field, such as the board of the Virginia Clinical Counselors Alliance and University TeleMental Health Training Advisory Forum. She has also served as a committee member at the Association for Creative Counseling and Association for Humanistic Counseling.
Dr Sarah Spencer:
www.DrSarahSpencer.com
www.theIWinstitute.com