Day 1 This presentation will consider the way that traumatic events impact upon children and families and how the traumatic nature of a death can impede grief. Discussion and evidence will be presented as to why many things which would ordinarily make bereavement less bad are compromised or absent when the death is traumatic in nature.

David Trickey is a Chartered Consultant Clinical Psychologist and Accredited Expert Witness with extensive clinical experience working with children and families. He specialises in complex trauma and traumatic bereavement. He acts as an expert witness giving evidence in various court proceedings and gives expert advice to various police forces concerning traumatised children and testimony. He is often consulted immediately following a trauma to inform the crisis response. His academic activity includes teaching both nationally and internationally. David is currently Lead Consultant Child Psychologist at Leicester Royal Infirmary.

Day 2 This presentation will consider how the experience of loss and trauma impacts on children and families in different ways. These differential effects present particular challenges to services trying to meet the needs of the children and adults affected. Mike will reflect on his experiences of providing consultation, training and therapy services to children and adults in a number of different communities during the past 12 years.

Mike O’Connor is Director of the Notre Dame Centre, Glasgow, a not for profit organisation and registered charity providing a range of therapeutic and training services to children, families and professionals. He is a chartered psychologist. Before taking up his present post he was the principal psychologist for Clackmannanshire Council. Mike has been involved in setting up a number of projects providing therapeutic services to children and families affected by loss and trauma including the ‘Interventions for Recovery’ project for Clackmannanshire Council and the ‘Recovery After Trauma’ project at the Notre Dame Centre. He was involved in the initial response to the shootings in Dunblane Primary School in 1996. From April 1996 until July 1999 he worked as a member of a multidisciplinary team set up for the community of Dunblane in the aftermath of the tragic events in March 1996.

Workshop Sessions

safeTALK (suicide prevention in young people) Most people thinking about suicide go unrecognised – even though most are directly or indirectly requesting help. safeTALK has been developed so more people with thoughts of suicide will get connected to help by training people to be suicide alert. This workshop will help participants understand why suicide is often missed, dismissed and avoided, examine misleading ideas stopping us reaching out to help people with thoughts of suicide and learn the ‘Tell, Ask, Listen and Keep safe’ steps to notice when someone is at risk.

Moira Sugden is a chartered educational psychologist working in the Notre Dame Centre, Glasgow, often with children and families coping with sudden and traumatic death. As an EMDR practitioner part of her work is in helping families to process the traumatic aspects of grief. Moira is also a trainer for ‘Seasons for Growth’, a peer support programme for young people coping with loss and change.

Self worth and resilience in young people this workshop will focus on self worth in young people. The session is designed to be interactive and will cover topics such as reasons for low self worth, linking actions to emotions, ways to focus on positives, choice, change and the role of others, how to develop resilience and how to respond as a practitioner.

Nadia Power is Therapeutic Director of Luton Churches Education Trust. She manages and directs a diverse therapeutic team who work in Luton’s secondary schools. She has recently developed and implemented a wellbeing module as part of the PSHE programme looking at various issues young people face including self worth, self harm, stress and motivation.

Gillian van der Merwe is a therapeutic worker at Luton Churches Education Trust. She has worked at LCET for over 3 years and has developed and piloted the self worth, sex and relationships course in Luton secondary schools. Gillian supports young people in developing self awareness, critical thinking skills, and personal understanding of specific life issues, such as ADHD, anger management and self harm.

‘The Locked Box’ use of metaphors in clinical practice with the dying and bereaved – this workshop will explore the way in which we can use metaphors in therapeutic practice (through language, drawing and play) not only as a way to helping adults and children say/communicate difficult thoughts and emotions but also to offer the opportunity to unlock stories of strength and resilience. The emphasis will be on addressing ideas about loss, transition, death and bereavement.

Stephanie Barker is a Consultant Nurse in the Specialist Palliative Care Unit in Norwich. Maintaining the integrity of the family unit underpins Stephanie’s working practice and she offers psychological support to families where an adult is facing life threatening illness. Much of her work is around helping families prepare children for the impending death of a parent and providing supportive care in bereavement. Stephanie is currently training as a Systemic Family Therapist and is an approved trainer for the National programme of Advanced Communication Skills Training developed by the Cancer Action Team.