This course will be recorded and all registrants will receive a link to access the course recording for a 2-week period following the course. Please mark on your registration form if you will not be attending live (and watching the recording instead) for attendance purposes.
Course Description:
This course will be focused on understanding the impact of trauma on physical and emotional health and the barriers trauma may present to patient’s experiences in healthcare, particularly pelvic floor physiotherapy. Over the course of the workshop, we will explore the two most common types of trauma impacting pelvic health – childhood sexual abuse and birth trauma. We will explore how physiotherapists can apply a trauma-informed lens to their practice resulting in greater awareness, understanding, and sensitivity for patients identifying as survivors of trauma. Through this increased sensitivity, physiotherapists will better support their patients and in turn observe higher levels of trust, adherence, and cooperation from their client base.
This course will be focused on understanding the impact of trauma on physical and emotional health and the barriers trauma may present to patient’s experiences in healthcare, particularly pelvic floor physiotherapy. Over the course of the workshop we will explore the two most common types of trauma impacting pelvic health – childhood sexual abuse and birth trauma. We will explore how physiotherapists can apply a trauma-informed lens to their practice resulting in greater awareness, understanding and sensitivity for patients identifying as survivors of trauma. Through this increased sensitivity physiotherapists will better support their patients and in turn observe higher levels of trust, adherence and cooperation from their client base.
Course Outline:
Session 1
- Why is a trauma-informed lens important for healthcare providers?
- Defining childhood sexual abuse and/or sexual assault
- How to recognize trauma: Signs and Symptoms
- Neurobiology of Trauma: How is the brain and emotional functioning affected?
- How does childhood sexual abuse or sexual assault shape or redefine a patient’s identity, sense of self, and body image?
- Impact of COVID-19 on trauma-informed healthcare
Session 2
- Defining birth trauma
- How does birth trauma affect pelvic floor recovery?
- Birth Trauma vs. Post Partum Mood Disorders: Similarities and Differences
- Disclosures of Trauma: Appropriate and Inappropriate Responses by Healthcare Workers
- Impact of COVID-19 on trauma-informed birthing and postpartum care
- Coping Techniques for patients
- Caring for the Caregiver: Understanding the impact of working with trauma survivors
Audience: This course is open to all healthcare and wellness professionals.
Prerequisites: None
Registration Form
Schedule
Date/Time: October 20 & 27, 2022 from 5-9pm ET (Toronto). Please convert to your local time zone.
Instructor
Lisa Aldworth MSW, RSW
Lisa Aldworth is a psychotherapist in private practice in Kitchener, Ontario. In her practice, she works with clients on a wide range of issues including childhood sexual/physical abuse, sexual assault, birth trauma, post partum mood disorders, grief, anxiety, depression, and coping with chronic pain and illness. Lisa has practiced anti-racist/anti-oppressive social work for close to 20 years in a variety of settings in Toronto and Kitchener including healthcare, domestic violence shelters, refugee rights, and most recently, private practice.
Her experience in healthcare includes the following areas: labour and delivery, NICU, pediatric cardiology, oncology, and community work with seniors. This work has informed her therapeutic practice as she has developed an acute awareness of the vulnerability of the patient experience, particularly when it comes to trauma survivors. Based on this awareness, Lisa feels passionate about the need for a consistent trauma-informed lens for all healthcare practitioners in order to provide the best possible care and outcomes for patients. You can connect with her here.
Location
Online