Before You Apply

The GCES Trauma-Sensitive Practice program helps professionals build multi-perspectival knowledge and skills required to meet a wide-range of needs of children, youth, and adults, including trauma-based responses. The four courses are an experiential sequence to extend understanding of neurobiological, evolutionary, psychodynamic, and collective trauma theories.

As such, this program may be experienced as demanding and we encourage applicants to consider the following before applying to the program:

  • Interested applicants should commit to all four courses. The program runs on a cohort model so the ethos of community is very important. An essential element of the cohort relates to community-building and interpersonal relations with ritual, which are healing modalities.

  • A key feature of the program is the integration of multiple trauma theories. Each theory calls for "right hemispheric engagement" or somatic, metaphoric, imagistic, poetic, symbolic, tactile, sensorial practice which promotes embodiment and somatic empathy. That is, this program does not privilege left hemisphere dimensions such as examination, comparison, categorization, exposition, and ranking. Certainly, dimensions of thinking are required yet always in-relation to emotions, affect, and the body.

  • Central to the courses are the integrated elements of somatic, relational, contemplative, place-centred, and creation-centred practices. This integration aims to create and develop body/self awareness, capacity, and resilience. Doing so takes time and dedication by all.

  • The material speaks to multiple forms of trauma, including but not limited to early childhood trauma, interpersonal betrayal, and Indigenous - settler relations. While instructors are attentive to individual and group challenges that may arise and seek to create safety through predictable learning structures (similar assignments; reiterated modules; pattern of delivery), cohort-community activities, small cohort size, and links to supports and mental health services, it is highly recommended that applicants have or put into place, before the first course, informal and formal resources (which may include professional services such as therapy).

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