Certificate in trauma counselling for mental health professionals: Level 2

Dates: January 26, 27, February 2, 3, 9 and 10, 2026 

Time: 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. ET

Facilitator: Ian Robertson, MSW, RSW

This training is suitable for:

• Mental Health Professionals: psychotherapists, counsellors, psychologists, social workers.

Client age category: For professionals who work with adult clients.

Level of training: Intermediate/advanced

Prerequisite: This training is for regulated professionals whose scope of practice allows for counselling specific therapies. This training is not appropriate for unregulated professionals. You must have completed the Certificate in trauma counselling for mental health professionals: Level 1  at SickKids Centre for Community Mental Health Learning Institute, as this training builds on the theories, concepts, models, and method discussed in the Level 1 program OR have equivalent work experience.

 Trigger Warning: This training may evoke disturbing feelings and can retriggers any participants who have unresolved past and current personal trauma conflicts. If you have not resolved past traumas, it is strongly advised that you do so prior to participating in the training. Participants can be triggered by training content, class discussion, or examples shared.

Description: The certificate in trauma counselling for mental health professionals: Level 2 is an advanced clinical training for those who provide psychotherapy and counselling to clients who have experienced traumatic exposures. This training will introduce key components for working with client presenting historical or oriented trauma exposures.

This training will include: countertransference/ transference reactions; overview of trauma-specific assessments and structuring the assessment process; case conceptualization and formulation process; treatment planning; applying “bottom up” approach treatment approaches to assist in regaining control of the autonomic nervous system (ANS) mobilization and collapse responses; and overviewing the use of ego state therapeutic approaches such as schema and structural dissociative therapy as treatment models of care. It is an educational applied training program, having several breakout groups, dyads and practice experiences to the theories and model discussed.

Program schedule and clinical focus by day: Below is an overview of the daily structure and key clinical themes explored throughout the training.

Day 1 - Transference and countertransference as a predictor of therapeutic attachment, treatment outcome, and potential impact on the professional doing trauma work

Day 2 - Where to begin: stabilization, structure assessment and building the treatment plan

Day 3 - Introduction of polyvagal theory as a viable therapy for treating post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)

Day 4 - Practical clinical application of polyvagal therapy

Day 5 - Working with dissociative phobic ‘parts’ of self

Day 6 - Schema therapy for PTSD

Please see the Agenda tab at the top of this page for further information on the daily learning breakdown.

Learning objectives:

• Understand that clinical attachment is the means to “safety” in a therapeutic setting and fundamental to the treatment of trauma; this training will provide deeper insight into the clinical significance of transference reaction from clients with PTSD and the potential risks of negative countertransference reactions from the professional
• Gain a working knowledge and practical skills into a structured assessment process for PTSD, which will support in developing an individualized treatment plan
• Gain a working knowledge, based on the assessment process, how to prepare a case conceptualization and treatment formulation plan
• Develop a working knowledge and practical skills for Polyvagal therapy as a treatment approach
• Develop a working knowledge and the application of ego state therapies including Schema and Structural Dissociative treatment models