Childhood trauma is increasingly being recognised as the root cause of many mental health difficulties. NAPAC, a national charity which supports adult survivors of child abuse, is regularly is contacted by counsellors, therapists and psychologists seeking advice on how to work with clients who have disclosed childhood abuse. NAPAC has now received CPD Approval for its one-day training course ‘Supporting Adult Survivors of Childhood Abuse’ (SASCA) from the British Psychological Society (BPS).
Gabrielle Shaw, CEO of NAPAC, said “Working with adult survivors of childhood abuse can create fear and feel overwhelming for many people, even experienced health and social care professionals. Learning about trauma-informed practice can help address and overcome these fears, ensure that abuse survivors are protected from the very real risk of re-traumatisation when seeking support, and empower them to take charge of their recovery. This BPS accreditation is a key endorsement of the quality of our SASCA training and will offer participants the chance to deepen their professional development on this topic.”
NAPAC’s training is based on trauma-informed practice and care which is rooted in the principles of ‘safety, trustworthiness, choice, collaboration, and empowerment’. Trauma-informed practice recognises that trauma is omnipresent and that practitioners need to be aware of how their personal life experiences may put them at increased risk of vicarious trauma when working with abuse survivors. Applying trauma-informed practice and approaches in health and social care recognises the impact of abuse on attachment and development, as well as on mental and physical health over a person’s life.
SASCA course outcomes:
• Define abuse trauma and gain awareness of how it affects mental, physical and social health over the life span
• Understand the significance of the ACE research
• Practical skills to respond appropriately to (first) disclosures of abuse
• Apply trauma-informed approaches to communicate and work effectively with adult survivors
• Recognise and guard against vicarious trauma
NAPAC’s Supporting Adult Survivors of Childhood Abuse (SASCA) training course is aimed at organisations and individuals who engage with adult abuse survivors in any capacity, or those studying a relevant subject, to deepen their knowledge about child abuse and its impact in adulthood, to feel more confident in managing disclosures of abuse, and to apply trauma-informed approaches to their work with survivors. The course does not recommend or teach any trauma-specific therapeutic interventions; however, it does offer an overview of approaches that research and experience show to be effective in processing and integrating abuse trauma.
The programme is aimed at professionals who engages with survivors of all types of abuse in any setting. We have trained IAPT services practitioners (PWPs and HITs), psychologists, therapists, counsellors, NHS Commissioners and safeguarding staff, GPs, health care workers, community psychiatric nurses, social workers, police officers, addiction and homelessness practitioners, ISVAs, insurance claims handlers, council workers, religious and educational institutions and prison officers.
More about NAPAC’s free survivor support services What NAPAC does
Find out more about NAPAC’s face-to-face and e-learning courses NAPAC training
Find out about more about trauma-informed practice Trauma-informed practice: what it is and why NAPAC supports it