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Trauma and Change with Insight Academy "Inspirational, informative, fun and the best training EVER!"


Greetings one and all,

We haven’t had any trauma feedback for a while, have we? Well, brace yourself… Last week saw my return to the Insight Academy to teach a whole raft of professionals from across various agencies and sectors. The NHS, local authorities, housing associations, charities etc. As always, the training was very well attended indeed and the feedback has left some of us rather taken aback. Yes, it is THAT good.


As some of you are aware, my Trauma and Change course was created with the input from several people from across North Staffordshire and beyond. People who were wiling to go on camera and tell their story. These exceptionally brave and moving stories have both informed and educated. Often times people can become very emotion when speaking about Charlotte and Ryan, and with good cause. They are in fact legends.


A huge thank you as always to Jonathan from Expert Citizens Insight Academy for having the unenviable task of collating the vast array of feedback comments – all of which are 100% uniformly excellent.

More sessions soon! Get booking your place, they vanish very, very quickly!


On completion of this training has your knowledge increased

Yes – 18/18 No – 0/18


On completion of the training session has your confidence in the topic increased?

Yes 18/18 No 0/18 - Very much so


Was the trainer knowledgeable and able to answer your questions?

Yes 18/18 No 0/18 – Very much so


What did you learn during this session? Was there anything you wanted to learn that was not there?


• Lots – looking at PIES was really interesting and all the techniques


• Learned so much. I thought this would be a bit of a refresher but it was much more and the videos from Ryan & Charlotte are really thought provoking. I think the whole subject was managed really sensitively but not shying away from the impact of trauma


• Some really good ideas for working with vulnerable people who have gone through a lot of trauma and cant see the way through. Very interesting exercises to explore the subject


• I feel confident now to recognize behavior instigated by trauma and to change the way I work with people


• Recognise behaviors that could point to being trauma / more about myself and mind


• How to understand how the other person thinks – learned a lot from the videos especially Ryan's


• Gave me a deep understanding of how services went wrong & validated my own experiences using services who let me down on my journey – which has helped me & it validated what I am doing to help others in my life


• More info on trauma informed practice, good stuff


• Grateful for the bitesize refresher on empathy fatigue & motivational interviewing


• I learnt a huge amount on this session re the “water in the cup & window of tolerance” I learned about homeostasis and epigenetics & DNA, No I have a completely open mind


• How to have a meaningful and non confrontational conversation about underlying trauma with survivors


• PIES and that there is always purpose & heart behind behaviors “ You wouldn’t choose to do this” a brilliant reminder + thanks to Ryan & Charlotte – true expert citizens! Shine Bright!


• PIES – different approaches / providing safe environments which are more trauma informed, amplified reflection, mindsight, helping make more meaningful connections, trauma + effect on brain


• I learned a lot about how to speak to people in the correct manner, to allow them to be able to open up more and to listen more to what clients have to say


• I learned that what we say and how we say it can impact someones life massively. I just thought it could impact initially but what we do does make a difference


• That childhood trauma can immensely affect your adulthood. Learned behavior can have a huge impact and make people think bad activities are “normal”


• Great understanding of trauma & change. Knowledge of what should be out there for all people, especially to be treated as individuals


• How much of an impact any trauma has on someone and the difficulties they face trying to deal with it

How will the training you experienced shape your practice in the future?


• Massively – looking and thinking at how I am going to implement them already!


• I wil certainly use the tips on having open and “Curious” conversations. I will think about how my immediate responses can either close or invite conversations.


• It will help me to relate to the people I work with and also help them to support those with traumatic background


• To integrate empowerment consistently as I shouldn’t assume someone knows they are worthy


• More understanding and confidence when speaking with individuals with trauma


• Will ask different questions when assessing situations


• Be more aware of my impact!


• Help me to support my team in my new service


• Wider & greater understanding of trauma, will broaden my capacity to help others & support them to make effective claims & empower them to maintain these claims


• I will be using TED and WWW which is a fantastic tool


• It will help me to continue to work in a trauma informed way


• Being more mindful of the impact of environments & the way we talk / give time and space to talk to people who have experienced trauma


• Whenever I speak to a client I will remember + try to practice as much as possible everything I have learned. Share with my colleagues


• I will listen to my clients more, I will allow them to explain things and I will be more patient


• I will use the open questions more in the sessions I do


• Will help the way I next interview my clients who disclose trauma experiences with me


• It will help me in my workplace


• It will help me to understand clients more and try to get to the trauma that is effecting them in the way it is


Would you recommend this training to others and why?


• Absolutely – Steven you are absolutely amazing – Knowledge and delivery is second to none

• Absolutely. The material and lived experience input is excellent. Steven’s delivery balances humour without taking away from the seriousness / depth of the subject. I really enjoyed the training.

• Yes it was informative and very valuable. Steven is a brilliant facilitator and really encourages you to think different about subjects and how to use them. It was really good to hear peoples stories. Ryan & Charlotte’s stories were inspirational.

• Yes it is useful to be able to understand your customers not just deal with the initial presenting issues

• Yes definitely, An understanding of trauma and behaviors and reasons for behaviors real stories of real people. Charlotte and Ryan were factual and inspiring

• Yes because it was excellent

• Absolutely, I already do! I think everyone who deals with vulnerable people should do Steve’s courses! There so engaging & informative

• Yes nice involvement and a good group

• Absolutely, it turns my thinking around completely and enables me to support others in a more compassionate way & effective way

• Absolutely fantastic training yet again from Steven. Inspirational, informative fun and the best training EVER! Thank you

• Absolutely, I think most people have experienced trauma at some point so its great to be able to recognize this and grow from it

• Absolutely! Stephen is just amazing – his knowledge, empathy and motivation to help people shines through. The people of Stoke & beyond are incredibly lucky to have access to him

• YES Very informative, covers a range of issues as well as being solution focused and positive, using stories / interviews from real experiences

• Yes as its very interesting motivating and has showed me a new way of how to communicate with people better

• It was very informative and the humor was great as Steven really kept me engaged

• Very knowledgeable trainer, made it fun

• Yes, very interesting course, very well timed and content of the course was fab, Steven is a superb trainer

• Yes the training was great and the humor drew me in more


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