Recap: Essentials of Trauma-Informed Care – Virtual Course
On September 10, 2025, HEAL Trafficking hosted Essentials of Trauma-Informed Care for Anti-Trafficking Professionals, a live virtual training designed to equip practitioners with actionable strategies to deliver ethical, person-centered, trauma-informed care. This 3.5-hour training was co-led by national experts Dr. Amanda Stylianou (HEAL CEO), Katie Papke (survivor leader and trauma therapist), and Nani Cuadrado (HEAL’s Director of Education), each of whom brought deep field experience to the course’s interactive sessions.
Participation & Impact
We welcomed 44 attendees from across the country, representing a wide range of professional backgrounds—including healthcare providers, social workers, survivor advocates, mental health professionals, researchers, and community-based service providers.
Participants gained immediately applicable skills to strengthen their trauma-informed response to human trafficking. The training was approved for 3.0 continuing education hours for mental health professionals, including one hour in ethics, through the National Association of Social Workers – Vermont Chapter.
Key Takeaways
This interactive course created space for rich cross-disciplinary discussion, allowing participants to learn from colleagues in different roles and bring multiple perspectives to shared challenges.
During the course, participants:
- Explored the neurobiology and health impacts of trauma, including co-occurring conditions.
- Gained tools to foster trust, safety, and empowerment with survivors.
- Examined ethical dilemmas through a trauma-informed lens.
- Practiced strategies to apply trauma-informed care across a range of professional settings.
Impactful Feedback
- “I appreciated the chance to connect with frontline service providers to better understand their day-to-day experience as well as learn directly from experts at HEAL.”
- “I appreciated getting to practice the PEARR tool and having scenarios to practice rephrasing questions with a trauma-informed lens. The hands-on activities make applying the concepts a lot easier.”
- “The breakout sessions were especially helpful with identifying alternatives for survivor support while also honoring survivors’ autonomy. This was such a great brainstorming session for my team.”
- “I greatly appreciated the opportunities to practice and apply skills in a variety of ways (i.e., polls, case studies, improving responses, etc.).”
89% of participants said they plan to make changes in their work based on what they learned in the training.
Keep the Momentum Going
Train the Trainer Academy
October 23–24, 2025 | 10:00 AM – 4:30 PM ET | $600 CE Fee / $400 Non-CE Fee
Equip yourself to deliver engaging, survivor-centered trainings on human trafficking within your organization and community. Participants can earn up to 10 CE/CME credits through Boston Children’s Hospital. Register now.
Thank You
We extend our heartfelt thanks to all who joined us for this important training and to our expert instructors for their powerful, practical, and survivor-centered facilitation. We’re honored to support professionals across sectors in deepening their trauma-informed practice.