Webinar: The Power of a Witness: Using Narrative Exposure Therapy (an Evidence Based Approach) to Support Students’ Trauma Recovery

The Power of a Witness: Using Narrative Exposure Therapy (an Evidence Based Approach) to Support Students’ Trauma Recovery
Trauma Informed Principle to Practice: Empowerment, Collaboration

This workshop provides an exploration of Narrative Exposure Therapy (NET), an evidence-based approach tailored for adults or children, particularly refugees and immigrants, with multiple traumatic experiences. Kids Narrative Exposure Therapy (KIDNET) is a therapy designed for children and adolescents who have experienced trauma, especially in conflict zones. KIDNET therapy focuses on reprocessing traumatic memories by contrasting the memories with the present feelings through narration. It focuses on helping them process their traumatic memories by creating a “lifeline” and uses techniques like storytelling, art, and role-play to aid in healing and recovery.

Led by Dr. Alejandra Acuña, this workshop guides us towards a comprehensive understanding of NET’s principles and techniques, learning how to utilize storytelling to help students process and integrate traumatic memories resulting in reduced PTSD symptoms. Attendees will walk away equipped with practical strategies and insights to provide culturally responsive support to students, fostering resilience and facilitating healing within diverse educational settings (e.g., green lights, yellow lights, and red lights of NET implementation!).

Importantly, Dr. Acuña will share not only about the evidence based approach, but how the implementation of it in itself can and should be trauma-informed and culturally responsive so that students and their families experience their recovery through the trauma-informed principles of empowerment and collaboration

Audience: School mental health professionals (school social workers, school psychologists, school counselors), student support services administrators and supervisors, and anyone interested.

Mental Health America of Fredericksburg staff will be attending this workshop and we wanted to share this resource with you.