From Awareness to Action: Trauma-informed Strategies for School Counselors

This interactive training helps school counselors move beyond understanding trauma to applying practical, trauma-informed strategies in their daily work. Participants will explore how trauma impacts student behavior, learning, and emotional regulation, while learning to recognize key signs across developmental stages.  Through real-world scenarios and guided practice, counselors will build skills in de-escalation, co-regulation, and relationship-building, while creating safe and supportive environments for students. The session also highlights strategies for collaboration with families and staff, as well as tools to support counselor well-being. Participants will leave with concrete strategies and an action plan to strengthen their trauma-informed counseling practices.

Objectives:
By the end of this training, participants will be able to:

1. Define trauma and adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and explain their impact on brain development, learning, and behavior.
2. Recognize common signs and symptoms of trauma in students across developmental stages.
3. Explain the core principles of trauma-informed care (e.g., safety, trustworthiness, choice, collaboration, empowerment) in a school counseling context.
4. Differentiate between trauma-informed, trauma-sensitive, and trauma-responsive practices within school settings.
5. Analyze student behaviors through a trauma-informed lens, shifting from “What’s wrong?” to “What happened?”
6. Apply practical, trauma-informed counseling strategies to support students’ emotional regulation, resilience, and sense of safety.
7. Demonstrate de-escalation and co-regulation techniques that can be used during moments of student distress.
8. Develop strategies to create safe and supportive counseling environments, including predictable routines and relationship-building practices.
9. Create an actionable plan to implement at least two trauma-informed strategies within their counseling program.