Narrative and community approaches to trauma (CPD61)
Develop new skills in working with trauma by understanding the role of power and social context in shaping trauma responses.
If you’re working with people who have experienced trauma and are looking for new ways to support them, this course will introduce you to a practical, relationship-based approach you can use in your practice.
Focusing on narrative and community-based approaches, you will learn how trauma is shaped not just by individual experiences, but also by relationships, power dynamics and wider social and cultural contexts. These methods focus on listening deeply, spotting resources and resistance, working collaboratively, and responding in ways that avoid re-traumatisation. You will also explore how to address trauma in families, systems and communities, particularly those that have been affected by injustice, violence, neglect or natural disaster.
This course offers the space to reflect on your current practice, strengthen your confidence and develop an empowering therapeutic approach to working with both individuals and groups.
Aims and learning objectives
By the end of the course, you will:
- have an understanding of narrative and community approaches, including key theories and practical skills
- understand how people’s experience of, and response to, trauma is shaped by relationships, power and social context
- be able to use narrative and community-based approaches to address trauma safely and collaboratively, avoiding re-traumatisation
- have confidence in talking about power dynamics and social injustice in your therapeutic work
- be able to apply practical tools to support individuals, groups and communities affected by trauma and traumatic events
- have developed an empowering, culturally responsive approach to trauma and be able to reflect on your current practice
Who is this course for?
This course is suitable for professionals who are working with people of any age group and from any background who have experienced trauma.
For instance, you might be working in the health care sector as a clinician (doctor, nurse, midwife, health visitor, mental health professional) or in social care, education, local government, charity or a community organisation.
The approaches you learn can also be used in group settings to address community trauma such as the collective trauma experienced during events like the COVID-19 pandemic, Grenfell Tower fire, or the recent Southport stabbings. Whilst the course does not focus specifically on these events, it will enable you to address power dynamics and injustice, nurture community resources and build community resilience to overcome community trauma.
Course details
The next course will run on the following dates:
| Sessions | Date | Start time | End time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Session 1/6 | Monday 2 March 2026 | 9.30am | 11.30am |
| Session 2/6 | Monday 9 March 2026 | 9.30am | 11.30am |
| Session 3/6 | Monday 16 March 2026 | 9.30am | 11.30am |
| Session 4/6 | Monday 23 March 2026 | 9.30am | 11.30am |
| Session 5/6 | Monday 30 March 2026 | 9.30am | 11.30am |
| Session 6/6 | Monday 13 April 2026 | 9.30am | 11.30am |
This course will be delivered remotely using Zoom.
You will need a device with a microphone and camera together with a suitably fast internet connection. Although mobile devices and tablets can be used, we recommend the use of laptop or desktop PC for the best experience. Some devices provided by employers may have restrictions in place. Please use the Zoom test link to check your set up before booking (or equivalent for Teams).
You will be sent the necessary login link about a week before the course start date. Should you have any concerns about the accessibility of remote delivery please contact us at CPDEvents@tavi-port.ac.uk to discuss how we can best help you.
This course will introduce you to the key principles of narrative therapy, a collaborative, person-centred model that focuses on people’s preferred narratives and resources rather than the dominant pathologising stories people might have constructed about them. It will also explore the role of witnessing and acknowledging injustice, how to hold onto hope in hopeless times, how to build relational and community resilience, and how to hold oneself accountable as practitioner in trauma work.
You will discover how the approach can strengthen your ability to support people who have experienced trauma, in both individual and group settings. You will explore topics including:
- an introduction to narrative and community approaches
- strength based practice and how to build relational resilience
- double listening
- reflecting on your position as practitioner in trauma work
- the journey to hope
- re-authoring and spreading the survivor’s new narratives
For this course, we ask that you have knowledge of trauma-informed practice. Basic therapy training in any therapeutic model is useful but not essential.
Library membership
Included in your course fee, you will receive online membership to the Tavistock’s internationally-renowned library for the duration of your course.
Our friendly and knowledgeable library team will help to support you through your specialist CPD course, whatever your level of professional or academic experience. You will have access to an extensive range of eBooks, online journals, all the relevant key databases and our specialist audio-visual collection, plus reference access to all our print books.
Our information skills trainer has made lots of material available on Moodle to help you navigate our comprehensive electronic collections. PCs and photocopiers are available for your use (charges apply for printing and copying), as well as various online resources including audio/video playlists.
Course facilitators
-
Nsimire Aimee Bisimwa
Highly Specialist Systemic & Family Psychotherapist
-
Dr Gillian Hughes
Clinical Psychologist and Systemic Psychotherapist
Book your place today
You can book a place at any time. You’ll receive confirmation by email, and we will be in touch approximately one week before the course starts with detailed joining instructions.
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