In this webinar we meet Fareed Rogers, a 17-year-old patient at a psychiatric hospital, who has a history of violent behavior. Dr. Samuels, a child and adolescent psychiatrist, with expertise in violence and trauma, has been brought in to evaluate Fareed, and determine if he should be transferred to a high-risk unit for adults.

Introduces Miguel, a 17-year-old with a history of truancy, fighting, and multiple arrests since the age of 14— around the time his mother passed away from cancer. He lives with his grandmother and siblings and occasionally sees his father, who lives out of state. Recently, during COVID-19 pandemic restrictions, Miguel was arrested for public intoxication and resisting arrest. His previous therapist of several years has transitioned out, and he is struggling to make a real connection with his new therapist.

In this webinar, viewers meet James, a 16-year-old African American youth who has been living with his maternal uncle, Patrick, since he and his two younger sisters were removed from their biological parents three years ago when James reported to a teacher that his father physically abused him. The teacher filed a report with Child Protective Services (CPS), quickly leading to the removal of James and his two younger sisters (ages seven and nine at that time) from the family home. CPS has been the legal guardian of all three children ever since. CPS gave Patrick physical custody of James, but James’ sisters were placed with a foster family. Patrick believes James needs help and sends him to see Dr. Julian Ford. During his first telehealth session with Dr. Ford, James is skeptical about whether his older White therapist can understand what it’s like as a young African American man. Together, Dr. Ford and James discuss these differences. Their discussions allow James to open up and share some of his deep frustrations and fears, including how his experiences affect his sense of safety and trust and how Patrick can accept and support him as he navigates these complex issues.

In this webinar, participants will see critical moments from three dramatized therapy sessions and hear from seasoned trauma therapists reflecting on their experiences working with clients of different racial and ethnic backgrounds. Presenters will lead a thoughtful discussion exploring the intersections of developmental trauma, clinical work, and race. Webinar participants are encouraged to reflect on their experiences and will have the opportunity to ask questions to further the discussion.

In this webinar, a mother and her teenage daughter who have experienced severe family violence by an ex-husband/father in the past become embroiled in an intense verbal argument that escalates into sudden physical violence. Their therapist attempts to mediate the disagreement while not siding with either mother or daughter, and then must help the mother recover from shock and dissociation while simultaneously helping the daughter not run away and stay present in the room. Mother and daughter go through a complex series of emotional reactions (anger, fear, guilt, shame, grief) with the help of the therapist, and are able to make the shift from experiencing a flashback of violence to reconnecting with one another based on their core relationship.

In this Webinar you will meet Joshua, a 15-year-old who has been in and out of DCF care and foster homes his whole life. Recently he was arrested for attempt of armed robbery. In this session, the therapist was asked by DCF to work on strengthening the relationship between Joshua and his father to see if he could move in and live with his father’s family in the future.

Debbie is a 10-year-old multiracial girl who lives with her 27 year old African American mother Sharon. Sharon has struggled for years with substance abuse. The family lived for several years in a shared space which was quite chaotic. During this time, Debbie often would be with other children in the building for many hours at a time without adult supervision. Many adults would come in and out of the building, and Debbie often did not see her mother, sometimes, for days. During this session Sharon begins to dissociate and the therapist must now find away to comfort Debbie while supporting Sharon.

Michael (12-years old) and Trisha (16-years-old) live with their mother Monica in a single-parent household. Five years ago, their father Neil was incarcerated after violently attacking and nearly killing Monica while the children were upstairs in their bedrooms. Michael and Trisha seem resilient, doing well emotionally, in school, and with peers, but Monica developed panic attacks and nightmares. Monica began therapy with Dr. Taylor two years ago, and her PTSD symptoms had largely resolved until she learned a couple of weeks ago that her ex-husband was going to get released from prison within the next month. Monica and Dr. Taylor jointly decided it would be helpful for the children to learn of their father’s imminent release in a family session with Dr. Taylor, the children’s first meeting with Dr. Taylor.