Healing Young Hearts Online Course

Course overview

Healing Young Hearts: A Trauma-Informed Guide to Child Development and Developmental Trauma This self-paced online course supports Counselors, Social Workers, Marriage Family therapists, and other human service professionals who care for, support and provide services for clients with developmental disabilities, mental health challenges, and complex trauma histories. It explores developmental trauma through a trauma-informed lens, focusing on the impact of early experiences on child development. Drawing insights from experts in somatic therapy, attachment theory, sensory integration, and trauma-responsive care, participants will examine how the nervous system processes safety, threat, and resilience, especially in children with complex trauma. Through expert interviews and practical applications, this course highlights the role of self-regulation and co-regulation, the power of somatic modalities, the therapeutic value of play, and the importance of recognizing imaginative storytelling as a vital expression of unmet needs and identity formation. Participants will leave with tools to validate trauma symptoms as adaptive responses, support healing relationships, and foster environments where emotional safety, agency, and regulation are prioritized. The course includes 5 interactive self-paced modules designed for human service professionals. Each module includes lessons with videos, articles, media links, and/or interactive reflective exercises. Learning Objectives: By the end of this course, participants will be able to: Understand developmental trauma, its impact on children, and the role of somatic and sensory practices in trauma recovery. Apply trauma-informed strategies, including regulation techniques and creative interventions, to support resilience. Evaluate sensory integration, Polyvagal Theory, and the neurobiology of play in trauma-informed care. Assess the role of caregivers and educators in trauma recovery, emphasizing compassionate and responsive caregiving. Identify and debunk common myths about trauma while integrating evidence-based, person-centered approaches. Integrate diverse forms of play and creative expression into trauma-responsive care plans to support emotional development, identity formation, and nervous system regulation in children