Webinar: creating therapeutic environments for people who are neurodivergent or have experienced trauma

This webinar is for anyone who works in residential care with children who may have experienced trauma, including:

• people who develop children's residential services
• children’s residential managers
• children's residential workers
• people who support children and young people in residential settings
• people who support the workforce in children’s residential settings

In this session, you’ll learn:

• the differences between a trauma-informed and trauma-responsive environments
• why environments are important
• why some environments can trigger existing trauma, or cause trauma
• why some environments can help to heal trauma
• how environments can affect behaviour
• how to create holistic spaces that encourage well-being and connection
• strategies to improve areas in residential care homes
• the changes you can make to your environments
• practical ways to become more trauma-responsive
• why control and self-awareness, self-regulation, and self-soothing are important in residential care homes
• the support methods you can use
• the materials, colours, furniture positions, temperature, lighting, scents, that help residential care homes to be more inclusive and encourage connection and calmness.

Susanna Smith, Environmental Psychologist and Designer
Abodiology Studio

Susanna has worked with children and young people for over 20 years.

Susanna specialises in creating environments that are therapeutically-informed, and trauma-responsive.

She uses psychology, neurology and behavioural science techniques to create environments in residential care, education and health. The environments she creates focus on neurodivergence and trauma responsiveness to improve connection, wellness and self-regulation.