Are these courses right for you?
Use the latest and most effective approaches to support clients through complex trauma.
Understand Key Theoretical & Clinical Approaches
Gain a comprehensive understanding of the key theoretical and clinical approaches underlying best practices in the complex trauma field. Read more on the importance of complex trauma training.
Develop Clinical Skills
Develop clinical skills in assessment, treatment planning, and clinical interventions. Our courses will enable you to work effectively with a wide range of clients from diverse social locations.
Courses Include:
- Theories in Complex Trauma
- Assessment and Intervention
- Somatic work with Complex Trauma
- Complex Trauma Interventions and Skill Building
If all courses are successfully completed by December 31, 2027, there is the opportunity to receive the Associate Certificate in Complex Trauma. Contact aeastman@jibc.ca with any questions.
These courses are designed for counsellors, therapists, psychologists, clinical social workers, mental-health professionals, and child and youth care workers. Practitioners who are working with children, adolescents and/or adult survivors of complex trauma will benefit greatly from this learning.
You will learn to take an integrative approach to the assessment and treatment of complex trauma, drawing on the most current clinical and evidence-based material on effective complex trauma intervention, as well as the most recent research on attachment, neurobiology, memory and dissociation.
Unlike other trainings that focus on one specific modality, we take an inter-modality approach to equip you with a strong foundation in complex trauma. Our courses will build your skills in multiple techniques across a variety of modalities and approaches, enabling you to support your clients and deepen your professional practice.
Our courses are situated within an understanding of culturally relevant practices and how multiple identities, social locations and historical contexts inform theory and practice.
An applied, experiential learning model means you will develop clinical skills in assessment, treatment planning, and clinical interventions that will enable you to work effectively with a wide range of clients from diverse social locations.
Click the link to hear instructor and complex trauma therapist, Maureen McEvoy, speak on 'The Education of a Trauma Therapist'.
COUN 5200: Theoretical Foundation in Complex Trauma | 10 weeks online
This course includes self-paced online content with weekly assignments and a final assignment due as well as four, 2-hour virtual zoom sessions scheduled on an evening on weeks 1,3,5 and 10. Exact dates and times will be provided at registration
COUN 5202: Complex Trauma: Assessment and Interventions | 4 days, New Westminster
This course includes a pre-reading package that will take approx. 2-4 hours to complete, and a final assignment that will be due approximately three weeks after course completion. Learners will be sent the pre-reading 2 weeks before the class start date.
COUN 5208: Somatic Work with Complex Trauma | 4 days, New Westminster
This course includes a pre-reading package that will take approx. 2-4 hours to complete, and a final assignment that will be due approximately three weeks after course completion. Learners will be sent the pre-reading 2 weeks before the class start date.
COUN 5212: Complex Trauma: Interventions and Skill Building | 4 days, New Westminster
This course includes a pre-reading package that will take approx. 2-4 hours to complete, and a final assignment that will be due approximately three weeks after course completion. Learners will be sent the pre-reading 2 weeks before the class start date.
COUN 5220: Complex Trauma Integrated Project | 7 weeks online
This final assignment is a self-paced project designed to integrate the learning from the previous courses and demonstrate skills and knowledge in the area of complex trauma.
For upcoming course offerings by date, view our Course Calendar.
Learners pay for each course individually at the time of registration.
For individual course fees please see course descriptions. Courses after April 1st are subject to a 2% tuition increase. A learner services fee will be applied per credit.
For upcoming course offerings by date, view our Course Calendar.
Click the course link and on the page click the green “register” button.
Approximately 3 weeks prior to the course start date you will be contacted and asked to clarify your education and professional experience to ensure you have the prerequisite knowledge to take the course. If you do not have this suitable education or experience, you will be withdrawn and will be issued a full refund. To take the courses students must have:
• A minimum of a bachelor's degree in a field related to complex trauma such as psychology, child and youth work, social work
• 3 to 5 years of education, training and work experience in the field of complex trauma.
• Or the equivalent combination of education and experience
If you have any questions about your suitability for the courses, or to confirm you have the necessary knowledge and experience please contact Program Manager Amber Eastman at aeastman@jibc.ca
Q: Can you take courses out of the recommended order?
A: Some courses have prerequisites, and those courses need to be taken in order. For example, COUN-5208 is a prerequisite for COUN -5212. If you have the equivalent training of the prerequisite course and would like to take a course without the prerequisite, you can apply for a requisite waiver here: https://www.jibc.ca/form/requisite-waiver-request-form-0
Q. Do I need to currently be working as a counsellor to take the program?
A: You do not need to currently be working with clients to take the courses. However, many courses include assignments where you will be asked to practice interventions. Having professional experience supporting clients in a foundational counselling capacity will enable you to apply these more advanced trauma counselling practices.
Q: What is a workload for the courses?
A: In addition to scheduled class time, students are expected to complete mandatory course readings and take-home assignments. For the face-to-face courses students should anticipate approximately 3-6 hours of prereading, and approximately 6-10 hours to complete assignments per course.
Most courses include role plays, and practice activities and exercises with classmates. It is important that students feel emotionally and psychologically capable of engaging in these activities, and in learning about content related to complex trauma. Students taking our courses should have well established self-care practices and supports in place should these be needed during their studies.
Q: What is the Associate Certificate in Complex Trauma?
A: The Associate Certificate in Complex Trauma is composed of the five complex trauma courses outlined below. The program will run for one more year in a teach-out delivery. This decision has been made largely based on the restrictive nature of the current program. The curriculum is clearly relevant, current, and in demand. Students who successfully complete all five of the courses with a minimum C grade by December 31, 2027 will receive the Associate Certificate in Complex Trauma.