Trauma-informed care

  • Reflections from the room

    Compliance as a trauma response in children

    A child who smiles and causes no trouble at school is easy to overlook. In the session on mentalising with complex trauma in children and families, Dr Emma Morris described how, in some children who have experienced early relational trauma, compliance may be mistaken for a sign that all is well. A mentalising lens offers another reading, in which compliance may be a way of staying safe, and that reading can shape what support comes first.

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  • 10338 Portal Images ACEs v1

    Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs): Latest Research, Child Mental Health Insights & Trauma-Informed Interventions

    This issue of the ACAMH ACEs SIG Newsletter highlights the latest research on adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), exploring their impact on mental and physical health across the lifespan. It also showcases emerging evidence on resilience, attachment, trauma-informed care, and interventions that can help prevent and mitigate the effects of childhood adversity.

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  • Kate ward

    Trauma, Risk and Clinical Complexity in Young People: Using Formulation to Guide Intervention

    Dr. Kate Ward practical workshop exploring how formulation can support work with young people who have experienced trauma and adversity and who also present with significant risk and complexity. The workshop will consider how clinicians can make sense of complex presentations, sequence interventions, and identify what may need to happen before or alongside trauma-focused therapy.

    Event type
    Workshop
    Location
    Online
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  • Woman with her hands together during trauma informed practice training

    Trauma-Informed Practice Training: Common Trauma Myths

    Looking for trauma informed practice training? Explore common childhood trauma myths, understand PTSD in young people and strengthen your therapeutic approach.

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  • young girl sat on sofa psychologist discussing mental health

    Mentalising and Emotion Regulation in Children and Families

    Midgley et al. (2023) describe the Emotion Regulation in Children (ERiC trial), the first large randomised clinical trial designed to evaluate a brief form of Mentalization-Based Treatment for children aged 6–12 with co-occurring internalising and externalising difficulties. The intervention aims to strengthen children’s and parents’ ability to understand behaviour in relation to thoughts, feelings and intentions, seeking to improve emotion regulation within the child and across the parent–child relationship.

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  • Emma Morris

    Meet the expert on mentalising – Dr. Emma Morris

    Discover how mentalising therapy supports children and families facing complex trauma. Join Emma Morris at the ACAMH workshop on 14 October 2026.

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  • Portrait of little girl aged 5. Moody and confused girl. Mistreated child.

    Why Trauma-Focused CBT Isn’t Reaching Children

    Trauma-focused cognitive behavioural therapy (TF-CBT) is one of the best-supported psychological treatments for children and adolescents with post-traumatic stress symptoms. Yet the existence of an evidence-based treatment does not mean that children and families can access it in routine care. Blog by Professor Francisco Musich.

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  • dark haired boy swinging on a swing

    Trauma in Care Experienced Children: Improving Access to Trauma-Informed Care

    Care experienced children and young people are much more likely to experience trauma and trauma-related mental health difficulties than their peers. Yet many do not receive timely support or access to treatments that are backed by evidence. Recent research highlights that the challenge is not simply identifying distress but ensuring that care-experienced children can access effective interventions, particularly trauma-focused cognitive behavioural therapies (TF-CBTs). In this blog, we explore these barriers, as well as what effective trauma-informed care could look like. Blog by Professor Francisco Musich.

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  • Emma Morris

    Mentalising with complex clinical presentations in children and families: a systemic and trauma-informed approach

    Dr. Emma Morris leads webinar workshop helping clinicians use a mentalizing and systemic approach to assess, formulate, and treat complex trauma in children, young people, and families.

    Event type
    Expert knowledge session
    Location
    LIVE STREAM
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  • minnis and Gajwani

    Beyond ACEs: When Trauma-Informed Care Misses Neurodivergent Children

    Trauma-informed care often overlooks neurodivergence, leading to missed diagnoses and support, as in James’ story. Research shows trauma, neurodevelopmental conditions and adversity frequently co-occur, with “double jeopardy” when both are present. Services must move beyond silos to holistic, person-centred assessment that recognises each child’s unique “make and model.”. Blog by Professor Helen Minnis (pic) and Dr. Ruchika Gajwani.

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