Narrative Approaches to Trauma-Informed Practice: From Clinical Sensitivity to Self-Care

Saturday, April 13, 2024 — 9 am – 12 pm ET — Online

Over the last decade, trauma-informed approaches have been touted as a standard of care and practitioners have increasingly understood narrative as a way to process their complex reactions to patient encounters and to advocate for systems change.

At the same time, trauma itself is subject to multiple definitions and can occur in various ways in the context of clinical encounters. For health care providers who want to write publicly about these experiences, this presents the challenge of writing with sensitivity and avoiding sensationalism.

This workshop is designed for health care providers who want to explore trauma through writing. The goals of this workshop are two-fold: to provide practitioners with a definition of trauma-informed care that resonates with their clinical practice and to experiment with techniques for writing about traumas (their own or those of their patients) with authenticity and humility.

Note: Because of the focus of this workshop on trauma-informed approaches and writing, there will likely be discussion of sensitive subjects. The facilitators will endeavor to create a productive and collegial learning environment where the focus is on the use of writing as a vehicle for self-care and advocacy.

Learning Objectives

  • Articulate what “trauma-informed” means in the context of your clinical practice
  • Develop a personal, ethical approach to writing about trauma
  • Write about traumatic experiences with increased sensitivity and confidence

Instructors

Arundhati Dhara is a general practitioner and hospitalist in Nova Scotia. Together with Dr. Sarah Fraser, she is Co-Director of the Medical Humanities Program at Dalhousie University. Dr. Dhara is particularly interested in writing as a tool for advocacy and the public roles of physicians. Her writing has been published in The Globe & Mail, Chatelaine, CFP, and CMAJ among other print and online outlets.

Sarah Fraser is a general practitioner in Nova Scotia with a varied clinical practice including both office-based and hospitalist medicine. Together with Dr. Arundhati Dhara, she is Co-Director of the Medical Humanities Program at Dalhousie University. Dr. Fraser is also Associate Scientific Editor at Canadian Family Physician.

Meaghan Fullerton works as a clinical psychotherapist with survivors of Residential Schools and Indian Day Schools in Mi’kma’ki, as well as with their descendants. Her clinical focus is working with people healing from complex trauma and colonial violence. Her writing and broader work focuses on continuing to broaden the conversations around cultural safety, decolonizing, and restorative relationships within mental health care and beyond.

Fee

Program Fee: $385

All amounts are in Canadian Dollars (CAD $) and are subject to 13% HST.

Cancellation

Cancellations will be accepted until Friday, April 5, 2024 and are subject to a processing fee of $60 plus applicable taxes. Refunds will not be processed after this date.

Requests for cancellation must be made in writing to cpd.programs@utoronto.ca .

Registrations are not transferable.

The University of Toronto reserves the right to cancel events. Registrants will be notified at the earliest possible date in the event of a cancellation. Registration fees for events cancelled by the University will be refunded; however, the University will not be liable for any loss, damages or other expenses that such cancellations may cause.

Accreditation

College of Family Physicians of Canada – Mainpro+® (Group Learning):
This 1 credit(s)-per-hour Group Learning program meets the certification criteria of the College of Family Physicians of Canada and has been certified by Continuing Professional Development, Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto for up to 3.0 Mainpro+® credits.

Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada – Section 1
This event is an Accredited Group Learning Activity (Section 1) as defined by the Maintenance of Certification Program of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada, approved by Continuing Professional Development, Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto. You may claim a maximum of 3.0 hours (credits are automatically calculated).

American Medical Association – AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™ Designation
Through an agreement between the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada and the American Medical Association, physicians may convert Royal College MOC credits to AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™. Information on the process to convert Royal College MOC credit to AMA credit can be found at: https://www.ama-assn.org/education/ama-pra-credit-system/agreement-royal-college-physicians-surgeons-canada

European Union for Medical Specialists (UEMS)
Live educational activities recognized by the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada as Accredited Group Learning Activities (Section 1) are deemed by the European Union of Medical Specialists (UEMS) eligible for ECMEC®.