Tavistock Trauma Service: external lectures on trauma December 2026 (CPD45A)

It’s Not What Happened to Us, It’s the Adaptations We Made to Survive

Tavistock Trauma Service: external trauma lecture 3

Fee: £30

Duration: 1h30

Delivery: Online: live teaching

Qualification: CPD certificate

Next start date: 03 December 2026

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This lecture is part of an innovative series organised by the Tavistock Trauma Service and is designed to reflect the clinical approach of the work whilst emphasising an adapted psychoanalytic approach with multi-modality and trauma-informed care.

We also use neurobiological and attachment theory to understand the impact of trauma. Our series will present a range of external speakers, each experts in the field, who will bring their own understanding of trauma via a presentation, followed by an audience question and answer session.

Who is this lecture for?

It is for you if you are a professional working within the mental health field who have an interest in trauma. You may be a psychologist, psychiatrist, social worker, mental health nurse, support worker, counsellor or therapist.

Our talks will cover neurobiology, attachment theory and different psychoanalytic perspectives on trauma, including historical child sexual abuse.

This is the final lecture in the autumn 2026 series.

It’s Not What Happened to Us, It’s the Adaptations We Made to Survive

3 December 2026, 7 – 8.30pm

This lecture will be recorded.

Lecturer: Dr. Laurence Heller and Maya Vaughan

It’s not primarily the developmental trauma itself that creates the relational and emotional difficulties that we experience as adults. It’s the adaptations that we made to that trauma, and how we carry those adaptations forward into adulthood, that create the symptoms we experience.

In this lecture, NeuroAffective Relational Model® (NARM®) founder Dr. Laurence Heller and colleague Maya Vaughan, Director of the UK’s Trauma Training Institute will present an overview of the NARM Model and the approach to understanding and integrating relational (developmental) trauma. Despite the seeming complexity of C-PTSD and developmental trauma, Dr. Heller and Maya Vaughan will present the clear framework (including the organising principles, interventions/pillars) that underpins the NARM model, including the 5 survival strategies or basic developmental themes that need to be addressed when working with complex trauma. Dr. Heller will explore his understanding of these themes and the shame-based strategies at the core of each of these Survival Styles.

The short presentation will then be followed by the opportunity for attendees to pose questions to Dr Heller.

This lecture will take place on:

Date	Start time	End time	*Will lecture be recorded and available after the live event?**
Thursday 3 December 2026	7pm	8.30pm	Yes

*To enable access to the widest possible audience these lectures are planned to be delivered live, but remotely, as webinars. Where we are able, a recording will be made available to all booked delegates although we encourage live attendance wherever possible. Please see the details above to see if this lecture will be recorded and available after the live event.

These lectures will be delivered remotely using Zoom. You will need a device 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 this test link (https://zoom.us/test) to check your set up before booking.

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.

Testimonials

“These lectures are so stimulating, covering a diverse range of topics, with expert and engaging speakers, all very inclusively led by Jo Stubley – thank you for putting these series together.”

Attendee

“An excellent event that offered not only ideas and understanding, but a sense of solidarity and hope in this difficult work (and in difficult times). I wasn’t sure about attending at the end of a long workday, but by the end of the event I felt enlivened and and reconnected to curiosity and collegiality – so glad I went. Thank you!”

Attendee

“I found this online event to be very well organised and money very well spent. The content was fascinating and the delivery first class. There wre extremely interesting interactions and I certainly came away with much to think about. Above all, the humanity displayed by the participants was both inspiring and humbling.”

Attendee

“This has been an excellent series of lectures so far. So very relevant to the field of mental health and trauma. All the speakers are very different, but all show the same high levels of compassion and knowledge for the very difficult field of human trauma. Thank you.”

Attendee

“These sessions help me gain insights into other ways of working . They support me in my hesitancy in my ability to work with some of my clients, when I find it difficult because I feel ill equipped to meet their distress. For some of them trauma seems to have destroyed them and while I want to help them, I doubt myself. These talks help me learn how other therapists are meeting the same demands.”

Attendee

Speaker

Joanne Stubley

Consultant Medical Psychotherapist and Psychoanalyst
Dr. Laurence Heller

Clinical psychologist
Maya Vaughan

Director of the UK’s Trauma Training Institute

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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