Trauma does not affect everyone in the same way. Two people can experience similar situations and respond very differently based on their experiences, support systems, environment, coping skills, and many other factors.

For some people, the effects of trauma may continue long after a difficult or threatening experience has ended. Certain situations, conversations, environments, sounds, smells, relationships, or memories may trigger emotional or physical reactions that seem confusing or overwhelming.

The Understanding Trauma & Triggers Workshop helps participants better understand why these responses can occur.

Through accessible education, guided discussion, real-world examples, reflection activities, and practical exercises, participants explore how stressful and traumatic experiences can affect emotions, behavior, relationships, and the body's response to perceived threats.

Participants also learn how to recognize potential triggers, identify their own stress responses, develop greater self-awareness, and explore healthy coping and grounding strategies.

The goal is not to diagnose trauma or provide therapy. Instead, this workshop provides practical education that helps participants better understand trauma-related experiences while building knowledge, compassion, and skills that support emotional wellness.

This workshop can be customized for schools, colleges, workplaces, recovery programs, reentry programs, healthcare organizations, nonprofits, community organizations, faith-based organizations, support groups, and professional audiences.

Participants will learn how to:

• Understand trauma in clear, accessible language. 
• Recognize that trauma can affect people differently. 
• Understand common emotional and behavioral trauma responses. 
• Explore the connection between the brain, body, and stress. 
• Understand what triggers are and how they may develop. 
• Identify common types of triggers. 
• Recognize physical and emotional signs of activation. 
• Understand fight, flight, freeze, and related stress responses. 
• Recognize how trauma can affect relationships and communication. 
• Develop greater awareness of personal responses. 
• Explore grounding and healthy coping strategies. 
• Understand the importance of boundaries and support systems. 
• Build practical strategies that support resilience. 
• Recognize when additional professional support may be appropriate.

 Every audience comes to trauma education with different experiences, levels of understanding, and needs. That's why the Understanding Trauma & Triggers Workshop can be customized based on participant age, organizational setting, available time, and desired learning outcomes.

Whether you're looking for an introductory presentation or a more comprehensive educational series, we'll work with your organization to create an experience that is informative, respectful, practical, and appropriate for your audience.

 Perfect for schools, colleges, workplaces, conferences, recovery programs, community organizations, and awareness events. Participants receive an introduction to trauma, triggers, common stress responses, the mind-body connection, and practical strategies for increasing emotional awareness. 

 A more interactive experience that allows participants to explore trauma responses, emotional triggers, stress, grounding techniques, coping strategies, relationships, and resilience through guided discussions, reflection activities, scenarios, and practical exercises. 

 Designed for organizations seeking comprehensive trauma education. Participants explore how trauma can affect thoughts, emotions, behavior, relationships, and physical responses while developing practical skills involving self-awareness, grounding, coping, communication, boundaries, and resilience. 

 The multi-session format allows participants to explore trauma education gradually while practicing new skills between sessions. Topics can include understanding trauma, recognizing triggers, stress responses, coping strategies, emotional awareness, relationships, boundaries, support systems, and resilience. 

 Content can be customized for students, adults, employees, individuals in recovery, returning citizens, healthcare settings, nonprofits, faith communities, support groups, and other organizations. Language, examples, activities, and educational depth are adjusted for each audience. 

• In-Person Workshops 
• Virtual Workshops 
• Hybrid Events 
• School & College Programs 
• Workplace Education 
• Recovery Program Workshops 
• Reentry Programs 
• Healthcare & Community Education 
• Conference Presentations 
• Support Group Workshops

 Sometimes people understand what they are feeling without understanding why they are feeling it.

A conversation may cause an unexpectedly strong reaction. A particular environment may create anxiety. Conflict may lead someone to shut down, become defensive, withdraw, or feel overwhelmed.

Without understanding trauma and stress responses, these reactions can feel confusing.

Trauma education can provide context.

Learning how the brain and body respond to perceived threats can help people recognize that emotional and physical reactions often have explanations. Understanding those patterns can create opportunities to develop healthier ways of responding.

This knowledge can also help families, workplaces, schools, organizations, and communities respond to others with greater understanding.

At The Jane Doe Foundation, we believe trauma education should provide people with knowledge without defining them by what they have experienced.

Understanding the response can be the beginning of learning how to respond differently.

 Explore trauma in clear, accessible language and learn why difficult or overwhelming experiences may affect people in different ways. 

 Learn how the brain and body work together during stressful or threatening situations and why physical reactions may accompany strong emotions. 

 Understand common automatic responses that may occur when the brain perceives danger or significant stress. 

 Learn how certain situations, environments, memories, conversations, sensations, or relationship dynamics may activate emotional or physical responses. 

 Identify possible emotional, physical, cognitive, and behavioral signs that someone may be experiencing a strong stress response. 

 Explore how previous experiences may influence trust, communication, boundaries, conflict, attachment, and relationships. 

 Learn practical strategies that can help bring attention back to the present moment during periods of heightened stress. 

 Explore constructive approaches for managing stress and difficult emotions while recognizing coping patterns that may create additional challenges. 

 Develop greater awareness of thoughts, emotions, physical sensations, behaviors, and patterns that may provide important information about personal needs. 

 Explore how coping skills, supportive relationships, healthy routines, boundaries, self-awareness, and community resources can contribute to resilience and continued growth. 

 Every Understanding Trauma & Triggers Workshop is designed to provide accessible, trauma-informed education without requiring participants to disclose personal experiences. 

 A professionally developed, trauma-informed curriculum covering trauma, triggers, stress responses, the mind-body connection, emotional awareness, grounding, healthy coping strategies, relationships, and resilience. 

 Participants may receive trauma-response guides, trigger-awareness worksheets, grounding exercises, coping-skills resources, reflection activities, and additional educational materials. 

 Participants engage through educational scenarios, self-awareness exercises, guided reflection, discussions, grounding activities, and practical skill-building exercises. 

 Facilitated discussions allow participants to explore trauma-related concepts and ask questions while maintaining privacy and respecting individual experiences. 

 Each workshop includes dedicated time for participants to ask questions and clarify concepts related to trauma, triggers, stress responses, coping strategies, and emotional wellness. 

Organizations may request Certificates of Participation for attendees completing the workshop or educational series. 

 Participants receive information about relevant Ohio and national mental health, recovery, victim advocacy, crisis, and community support resources. 

 Organizations may receive additional worksheets, grounding tools, coping resources, educational articles, reflection activities, and materials that reinforce continued learning. 

 Content, language, examples, activities, and educational depth can be customized based on your audience, organization, available time, and learning objectives. 

• Professionally developed trauma-informed curriculum 
• Interactive presentation and activities 
• Trauma and trigger education 
• Grounding and coping-skills resources 
• Self-awareness exercises 
• Guided discussions 
• Question & Answer session 
• Community resource information 
• Follow-up educational materials 
• Optional Certificates of Participation 
• Customized content for your audience 
• Practical strategies participants can use in everyday life

 If you'd like to bring the Understanding Trauma & Triggers Workshop to your school, workplace, recovery program, healthcare organization, nonprofit, or community, we'd love to work with you.  

Complete the request form below, and we'll contact you to discuss your population, goals, scheduling, and customization options.