Have you ever been working with a traumatized client, compassionately bearing witness to their symptoms, but unable to shake the feeling that you’re overly focusing on their pain? You’re not alone. We all want clients who’ve survived trauma to chart a path forward. Fortunately, there are ways to help them heal and grow while still acknowledging what happened to them---even in the very first sessions. In this experiential workshop, we’ll explore creative ways to help trauma survivors navigate the impact of traumatic events while guiding them to a place of newfound hope, resiliency, and healing. You’ll learn: 

• Why the meaning clients attach to trauma is so important  
• How to incorporate the body in trauma work, plant the seeds of hope in your earliest sessions, and identify and nurture tangible markers of post-traumatic growth 
• Creative strategies like internal and external resourcing, before-and-after imagery, two-handed writing, and future-self visualizations 

Lisa Ferentz, LCSW-C, DAPA, is the founder of The Ferentz Institute. Her books include Treating Self-Destructive Behaviors in Trauma Survivors, Letting Go of Self-Destructive Behavior, and Finding Your Ruby Slippers: Transformative Life Lessons from the Therapist’s Couch.