Rethinking Trauma

Ready to get clear and confident with how to practically and effectively work with clients that have experienced perinatal trauma?

Rethinking Trauma: The LIVE Workshop… A live, 5 hour, interactive online workshop, designed to move you from confusion to clarity, so that you can gain the confidence you need to effectively support individuals who have experienced trauma during pregnancy or childbirth. Rethinking Trauma gives you the tools, strategies and techniques to not only will you improve your clients’ experience with your services, but to also allow you to find greater satisfaction in your work – all within the scope of your role.

2024 dates enrolling now, seats are limited

"I believe training such as this should be a core competency of clinical education."

Ebony Benzie

Registered Midwife

As clinical staff and health care professionals, we encounter and unintentionally contribute to trauma regularly. It is essential that we comprehend this and go on to develop practical approaches to hearing and responding to a person’s experience. I believe training such as this should be a core competency of clinical education.

Fiona is obviously passionate about her role both in trauma work with clients and in providing training to clinicians and colleagues. The counsellor/social work approach to trauma is distinctly different to the clinical health professionals’ approach and Fiona was able to draw the parallels between the psychosocial and biomedical models. Fiona has a calm compassionate approach which put the group at ease and encouraged our participation.

I wish there was someone like Fiona at every hospital, birth centre, and in every clinical education program in Australia. As a Midwife, the vicarious and observed trauma of my role can be a challenging, and navigating the various experiences of the families I support can add to that. I can support someone to breastfeed in one room and then in the next room be caring for a family who are grieving. We never know what someone has experienced in their life, or even in the past 24 hours, even though Fiona’s training has boosted my confidence in sitting with others in their discomfort or trauma, I wish we could have someone like her in every maternity unit supporting both staff and patients through the tough stuff.

"The course completely exceeded my expectations."

Julia Bassis

Doula

Before I signed up for Rethinking Trauma I was not clear about what was happening in the brain of my clients and I was concerned about not making more harm. I really wanted to have an understanding of what the trauma is, how it affects and impacts my perinatal clients and how to implement easy and accessible tools to make it safe for them and for me. The course completely exceeded my expectations. Prior to the course the most challenging thing for me was to make sure that I won’t retraumatize my clients. I don’t want to cause any more harm to them, and I hope to guide them to a state of peace and wellbeing, if/when possible. The course did help me with those concerns.

I had been trained in trauma-focused hypnosis but I registered to this course because I wanted to gain solid knowledge and understanding about the theory of trauma and how to work in a safe environment.

I am an avid learner and I would like to acknowledge the quality of this course. It was well structured and articulated, easy to understand and to digest. I really enjoyed understanding a bit better what happens in the brain during trauma, discovering more in depth the polyvagal theory. The course was great, the perfect combination between theory and practice!

"This course is worth every cent! Dive in head first!""

Em Schoeman

Doula

Before taking this course I was working with women who have experienced previous birth trauma, and I found it hard to help that move toward that positive next experience of birth, and not wanting to cause further trauma. I knew Fiona had a solid reputation in this space, extensive experience in this work, as well as experience in training, so I didn’t hesitate. Before starting the course I felt a little overwhelmed at the thought of potentially making a client’s experience worse, or triggering her.

Now I feel a lot more confident in this work. It has allowed me to look at certain reactions and assess situations better before reacting. It has also allowed me to take these skills into working with clients on a deeper level. The knowledge I have gained has given me a deeper understanding of my own personal situation regarding others in my life dealing with CPTSD of close family members. Also gaining understand of things such as reactive abuse.

"It was a really good insight and I feel most people in general need to know this information, not just those in our field."

Megan

Student

There was so much information to learn on each element. It was a really good insight and I feel most people in general need to know this information, not just those in our field. It was really informative, especially given the time we had, working out what would be the most important for us to know. It was so good – I’m curious to know more! Fiona was really great at explaining, and well spoken. She was also very calm given the topics too.

"I will be recommending this to all of my colleagues."

Jillian R

Registered Midwife

I got so much out of the live workshop. I now have much more clarity around how I can support clients in the perinatal space whilst working safely within my scope of practice, and not putting anyone at risk of further harm. I believe that this education should actually be a fundamental component of study for all perinatal professionals, so that we can all practice in a way which protects women and birthing people and their families from unnecessary trauma. Thank you again, I am so glad that I did this. I will be recommending this to all of my colleagues.

"Very informative. I learnt so much that will be so valuable and useful. I have worked as a nurse for years and never been told this... it needs to be told. Such important information."

Britt

Midwife

"As a midwife, I highly recommend this course for all birth practitioners."

Brooke M

Registered Midwife

I am so thrilled I attended. It was so impactful and an area I think really needs more recognition in midwifery practice. I could not speak more highly of Fiona or the course.

This course was highly engaging and thought provoking, allowing for reflection on current practice and improvements that could be modified in everyday practice to ensure the care women receive is safe, woman-centred and trauma informed.

As a midwife I highly recommend this course for all birth practitioners.

"Thank you so much again. This area of support is SO needed for mothers, fathers, doulas, midwives, etc."

Kayla

Midwife