Trainings & Workshops
Changing Tides remains current and knowledgeable of evidence-informed, trauma-sensitive research and practice modalities through continual engagement in training on the part of both partners. Since opening its doors in 2022, Changing Tides has prioritized training needs of local schools and resource providers. In 2025, the practice is seeking approval as an approved continuing education provider through various licensing boards.
Through work with local professionals across disciplines, Changing Tides understands the varying levels of knowledge and training needs of community providers. Each organization has a different level of engagement with and understanding of those with experiences of trauma, mental health challenges, and other difficult life events, and as such require differing levels of training. Changing Tides has an established history of working with and tailoring trainings to agency and populations needs. Letha and Ashley meet with groups seeking training to discuss knowledge gaps, training requests, staff experiences, and client populations. This allows our practice to design workshops specific to the agency and its needs.
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The following are a few workshops from Changing Tides' training catalogue:
Trauma 101: Early Adversity and Its Impact (3 hours)
Traumatic experiences often have a significant and long-term impact on development, social interactions, behavioral functioning, life choices, and a person’s overall sense of well-being. Research on the impact of trauma provides valuable knowledge regarding its effects on the brain, the potentially long-term consequences of traumatic stress on healthy development and functioning, and an individual’s well-being across domains. When supporting trauma survivors across settings, professionals must consider the core concepts of trauma-informed care and integrate these tenets into their daily work. This workshop will identify and define types of trauma; explore the impact of traumatic stress on neurodevelopment, psychosocial well-being, and health; and consider the implications of the science behind the impact of trauma on the brain.
Complex Trauma and Its Implications in the Clinical Setting: Research, Principals, & Techniques (6 hours)
Traumatic experiences often have a significant and long-term impact on development, social interactions, behavioral functioning, life choices, and a person’s overall sense of well-being. Research on the impact of trauma provides valuable knowledge regarding its effects on the brain, the potentially long-term consequences of traumatic stress on healthy development and functioning, and an individual’s well-being across domains. When supporting trauma survivors in clinical settings, helping professionals must consider the core concepts of trauma-informed treatment and integrate these tenets into their daily work with clients. This workshop will identify and define types of trauma; briefly review normal brain development; explore the impact of traumatic stress on neurodevelopment, psychosocial well-being, and health; and consider the implications of the science behind the impact of trauma on the brain in treatment settings. Participants will consider the core principals of trauma-informed care, review the ARC model of trauma-informed care and systems, consider right and left brain modalities that support expressive therapeutic work, and through hands-on learning activities explore related treatment techniques that may be beneficial in supporting the healing of trauma survivors.
Vicarious Traumatization and Workplace Resilience (6 hours)
The helping profession entails a great deal of stress and the work conducted may lead to negative experiences for professionals across life domains. These challenges can affect both the professional and the organizational culture, impacting the well-being and effectiveness of employees and the larger system. This workshop will explore the impact of stress on professionals, potential consequences of exposure to trauma in the workplace, such as compassion fatigue, vicarious traumatization, and burnout, and the importance of workplace resilience and supervision in addressing these challenges.
Addressing Trauma in the School Setting: The Impact of Early Adversity on Learning and Classroom Considerations (3 - 6 hours)
Trauma has increasingly become a focus in the context of public health, as a result of the research and knowledge gained that reflects the widespread and potentially detrimental impact of traumatic experiences on individuals, families, and communities. Trauma has high costs, in terms of emotional, social, and financial well-being, and it is imperative that it be addressed in order to improve the welfare of families and communities. Children and adolescents are of critical importance, as early trauma-informed interventions have the proven potential to impact and improve quality of life and long-term outcomes. Many of the challenging behaviors exhibited by children and adolescents who have experienced early childhood traumas are directly linked to their personal histories and efforts to survive traumatic events. In recent years, institutions have increasingly focused on the impact of trauma, and how systems assist in resolving (or exacerbating) trauma-related challenges. This often requires service settings to consider how they operate overall and on a daily basis, and to seek support and training related to trauma-informed services and care. Schools in particular have the opportunity to provide a sense of safety, support, and well-being to those who do not have access to such experiences in the home and elsewhere, creating an environment conducive to learning and success for students who have experiences trauma. Schools utilizing trauma-informed policies, procedures, and practices can affect change for children in impactful ways that are lifelong in nature. This workshop will explore how trauma affects children and adolescents throughout development and across the lifespan, how they exhibit challenging behaviors that are intended to support coping and survival, and what administrators, teachers, and staff can do to better manage these dynamics in their classrooms and simultaneously provide unconditional positive regard for students.
Mental Injury: Trauma Hiding in Plain Sight (3 - 6 hours)
Traumatic experiences often have a significant and long-term impact on development, social interactions, behavioral functioning, life choices, and a person’s overall sense of well-being. Research on the impact of trauma provides valuable knowledge regarding its effects on the brain, the potentially long-term consequences of traumatic stress on healthy development and functioning, and an individual’s well-being across domains. Focusing on the trauma of Mental Injury specifically, research indicates this is the most harmful form of abuse a child can experience as it relates to long-term impact on health and well-being. This workshop will identify and define types of trauma; explain the impact of traumatic stress on neurodevelopment, psychosocial well-being, and health; identify and examine the definitions, types, and indicators of mental injury; analyze challenges in identifying this form of abuse; identify and examine developmental consequences of mental injury; and discuss how to affect change using a developmental model.
