Trauma and Language

Have the people accessing your service experienced trauma? Do you feel that you and they would benefit if you knew more about the impact of the language used in legislation, policy and in practice? Would you like to understand more about how, when trauma has been experienced, language can impact them accessing your service?  If you answered yes, you are not alone. Research suggests that language can be used as a tool of power rather than as a powerful tool and that this adds to harm through continued stigmatisation, through exclusion and through being a ‘hard to reach’ service. That is why we have invited Lisa Cherry, Author, Researcher and International Trauma Trainer and Consultant, to speak to you about understanding Trauma and Language.

It offers a chance to hear from a highly regarded authority on trauma about how we can improve our relationship, interactions and overall care for people who have experienced trauma and the way that we approach people accessing services.

In other words, language matters; what we say and how we say it matters.

This course is designed to help frontline workers understand the importance of the language we use and how this may impact your work with them.

The course covers four key areas:

• Introduction to exploring beliefs that impact language 
• Language that harms/language that heals
• What does the research tell us
• Moving away from problematising the individual 

By the end of the course, delegates will be able to:

• Identify and think operationally about the trauma informed principles in practice.
• Explain different types of language and ways that we communicate and what that looks like in their setting
• Identify different types of language that can heal
• Identify different types of language that can cause harm
• Describe how language can affect access to services.
• Describe what can be done to address language that harms and what they can do to make a difference.
• Identify trauma informed dialogues for use in everyday work.
• Describe how applying recovery-based and trauma-informed awareness in your approach to service delivery starts with language.
• Identify strategies to decrease stigmatising language use and explain how to incorporate respectful language in verbal and written language.
• Identify strategies to collectively care for all those involved.

"The course gave me an opportunities to reflect on language and ways of phrasing the something difficult topics we discuss in our jobs, and gave me some really useful models." ~ Anonymous

Please note: The Westgate Collaboration Space is located above the Oxford County Library in Westgate (Oxford City Centre). There is no formal parking so delegates are advised to use the Park & Ride or various city centre car parks.

Teas, coffees and biscuits will be provided, however, delegates will need to bring their own lunch. There are many shops and cafes in the Oxford city centre/ Westgate.