Learn While You Lunch
The Learn While You Lunch training series is an opportunity for community providers (physicians, school social workers, administrators, and other social service professionals) to connect with one another while learning about child and adult mental health, trauma, vicarious trauma, stress management, and more. Presentations include case examples and ways to integrate concepts presented. Contact Dianne Corbin to inquire about Learn While You Lunch and other training opportunities at Merrimack Valley Trauma Services.
1/27/23
“What is mental health counseling and what it is not:
Educating consumers and making appropriate referrals”
This discussion provides an introduction to Merrimack Valley Trauma Services, our staff, and our clinical model. Ways in which mental health is viewed and the influence of culture, social media, and past experience is presented. Therapy is explored as a relationship through which we can learn, grow, and heal. We discuss the 3 purposes of therapy and questions clients should ask themselves, prior to making a commitment to treatment. The presentation concludes with a discussion about the therapist’s role, parents being key to their children’s success in therapy, and tips from the MVTS team.
2/24/23
“What is Trauma Therapy?”
During this presentation, we discuss what makes trauma therapy different than other forms of mental health counseling. We review the definition of trauma, the principles of trauma-focused therapy, and the stages of treatment. The presentation concludes with a discussion about what recovery from trauma looks and feels like for our clients.
3/31/23
“Vicarious Trauma and Its Impact on Providers”
Everyone, including helpers, has “baggage” (a history of trauma). And while our baggage is different, our past unresolved experiences are often triggered by others, especially in stressful situations. Vicarious Trauma is a term to describe the impact of past trauma on our work, and the cognitive, emotional, physical, and spiritual toll it can take on those in the helping profession. Segments from “Helping Until It Hurts: A Documentary About Vicarious Trauma,” written and produced by Dianne Corbin, are featured. Participants are encouraged to assess the impact of vicarious trauma on their own lives and develop a greater awareness in order to prevent burn-out.
