Defense Styles Workshop

Understanding Unconscious Coping and Its Impact on Mental Health

This engaging session explores the concept of psychological defense mechanisms—unconscious strategies we all use to manage difficult emotions like anxiety, shame, or self-doubt. Drawing on current research and clinical theory, the workshop examines how different defense styles—mature, neurotic, and immature—shape our personality, relationships, and emotional resilience. 

Participants will learn: 

• How defense mechanisms function to protect the self from emotional overwhelm 

• The difference between healthy (mature) and less effective (immature) defenses 

• How over-reliance on immature defenses is linked to poorer mental health outcomes 

• Gender differences in defensive styles and expression 

• How defenses play out in individuals, teams, and systems 

We’ll use the Defense Style Questionnaire (DSQ-40) to explore a range of common defense mechanisms, from suppression and humour to projection and dissociation. Participants will reflect on their own patterns, with opportunities for discussion and application to trauma-informed practice. 

Ideal for clinicians, supervisors, and team leaders, this session offers practical insights to deepen self-awareness and enhance psychological flexibility—key to sustainable work in trauma-exposed environments. 

Therapeutic Group Process Training

Duration: 3 hours 

This training blends theory with experiential learning to introduce the core principles of therapeutic group process. Participants will engage in a 90-minute theory component followed by a facilitated 90-minute group experience. 

The session explores the origins, structure, and benefits of group process, as well as common challenges and resistances. It offers a safe, supportive space to reflect on the emotional impact of working with complex trauma—an essential element in preventing vicarious trauma and burnout. 

Designed to gently extend practitioners beyond their comfort zones, this training provides a powerful tool for sustaining wellbeing and connection in trauma-exposed work. 

Trauma-Informed Leadership

Duration: 4 hours 

This practical, engaging session is designed for leaders navigating the complexities of trauma-informed systems. Grounded in theory but focused on application, the workshop explores how early adversity shapes behaviour, relationships, and mental health—and how these dynamics ripple through teams and organisations. 

You’ll examine: 

• The core principles of Trauma-Informed Practice 

• How trauma impacts both individuals and systems 

• Leadership’s role in holding complexity, modelling safety, and creating reflective cultures 

• Organizational defences and systemic signs of stress or burnout 

• Barriers to implementation—and how to move through them 

Blending theory with real-world leadership insights, this workshop offers tools to strengthen your organization's resilience, align practice with purpose, and lead with clarity in trauma-exposed environments.

Introduction to Trauma-Informed Practice 

Duration: 4 hours 

This foundational workshop offers a clear framework for understanding the impact of complex trauma on development, relationships, and mental health. Drawing on key theories, we explore how early experiences shape behaviour—and how trauma affects not just individuals, but teams and systems. 

Participants will examine the dynamics of trauma work, the risk of organizational traumatization, and the safeguards needed to maintain resilience. Core concepts include the therapeutic relationship, reflective practice, and shared theoretical understanding. 

Combining theory, group activities, and reflective discussion, this engaging session provides practical tools for building more trauma-informed environments.