Hi Everyone,
I’ll be co-presenting at the “Trauma Con 2026: Nurturing Courageous Healing” event in Bradenton, Florida, on May 20, 2026.
Below is the information on the workshop, titled: Beyond Difficult Behavior: Using Trauma-Informed Language Tools To Create Safe & Supportive Environments. I’ve also attached the flyer for more information on the interactive workshop, the 2-day conference sponsored by Centerstone Trauma & Grief Treatment, and how to register. This is a free event but space is limited. If you’re interested in this topic, I’d love to see you there!
Abstract:
Behavioral health challenges strain our communities, courts, and court-adjacent mental health partners. Underlying this crisis is often trauma and toxic stress, which can hijack communication and behavior. Neuroscience research supports the use of trauma-informed language tools – empathy, validation, reflection and paraphrasing – to help nervous systems settle and safety grow.
Presentation Description:
In child welfare court, mediations, and allied professional settings, trauma often arrives as “difficult behavior” – anger, shutdown, confusion, or what gets labeled as non-compliance. Under the pressure of tight timelines, high stakes, and repeated crisis, even well-intended responses can escalate conflict or unintentionally retraumatize the very people the systems are trying to serve.
This interactive workshop translates trauma-informed principles into practical, in-the-moment communication tools that help professionals de-escalate, preserve dignity, and still hold clear boundaries.
Participants will learn micro-skills that can be used immediately in mediations, in interviews, in hallways, in offices, in the courtroom – anywhere challenging behavior arises. These skills, such as trauma-sensitive language, affect labeling (“naming what’s here”), and validation without agreement, are supported by the latest neuroscience research.
We will connect these tools to what the brain and body do under stress, and to how these skills help reduce escalation in settings where power differences, fear of consequences, and the tension between compliance and safety can be present. Participants will also practice these skills through a role play.
Finally, participants will learn self-care strategies that reduce compassion fatigue, vicarious traumatization, and burnout, so trauma-responsive work is sustainable over time.
Learning Objectives:
- Understanding how trauma and toxic stress disrupt brain development and creates lasting impacts on learning, behavior, and physical health.
- Recognize trauma responses and behaviors when they arise.
- Understand how language can help in interactions with traumatized individuals.
- Learn and practice communication tools and techniques to minimize retraumatization and reduce PTSD symptoms.
- Practice mindful techniques for emotional regulation during challenging interactions and when working with individuals and families in crisis.
- Develop strategies to prevent compassion fatigue, vicarious traumatization, and burnout.