I have long turned to nature when I need to feel small. When I need to understand that the trees were here before I was and that they will be here for a long time after, I head for the hills. Sometimes, I need to feel small to reduce overwhelm and it is in my […]

Some of my time is spent delivering keynotes and this morning, I spoke at the Birmingham Virtual School Conference. I love Virtual Schools and for those of you who think I’m talking about a school that operates online, let me explain. A Virtual School in the UK is a local authority-led service that supports the […]

Interdisciplinary Insights How we think about and understand a subject, any subject, can be rather limited (forgive me for saying) unless we dare to step into other genres and disciplines. Quite honestly, it can be a bit intimidating to confront a whole other body of knowledge that lies outside our own frameworks and theories for […]

I was 24 years old, working in the Leaving Care Team for the London Borough of Sutton. It was 1994. I was young, enthusiastic and full of energy. Every month we were sent on different courses and I remember being sent on Grief and Loss. That is genuinely what it was called. Placing 'understanding' at […]

I have wanted to write about this quiet, peaceful, sometimes sad and incredibly uncertain space for a while and explore how this liminal space that I now find myself in intersects with belonging while applying a trauma informed lens. It has taken a while for me to formulate some of my thoughts, and I can’t […]

If you are connected with me on social media you'll probably have seen the video that I shared on my health. If you haven't seen it, I shared what I learnt on the 11th July in conversation with my consultant. He informed me that the Multiple Myeloma that I live with is aggressive and that […]

A short reading from Chapter 7 to whet your appetite! You can purchase your copy of "Weaving a Web of Belonging: Developing a Trauma Informed Culture for All Children" from HERE.

Belonging, met in the placevisited briefly, a person whoremembered us, the friendlyface, a welcome homeeven when they knew we had never visited thisplace before, a show of kindnesswelcoming words, an openheart, inviting spaces to be still,not expected to repeat life stories in all our phasesacceptance met, uponreturn, our hearts belongedloved unconditionally, thewelcome, remains lifelong. Chrissy […]

Establishing psychological safety as a foundation of 'the work' enhances the ability of professionals to deliver quality care. In this post, we'll discuss the components necessary in order to cultivate this environment. The Importance of Open CommunicationA key element of psychological safety is open, non-judgmental communication. Encouraging children, colleagues, and parents to share their thoughts […]

In our professional roles, we often encounter children who have experienced domestic abuse. This blog provides an overview of trauma-informed practices, essential for supporting children and young people. By recognising and addressing the unique needs of children affected by domestic abuse, we can foster their healing and growth. The impact of domestic abuse on children […]

Poverty is a multifaceted issue with deep societal, cultural, and historical roots. It manifests in numerous ways, often affecting both the individual and community levels. Living in poverty means constantly worrying about basic needs like food and heating, causing stress that can dominate a person’s thoughts from morning until night. This cycle of deprivation can […]

In the realm of children's services, where the well-being and development of young minds take precedence, establishing psychological safety is essential. A psychologically safe environment nurtures both the growth of children and the effectiveness of the professionals who care for them (Gilroy, 2023). In this article, we explore practical strategies for creating such an environment […]

Join Karen Treisman and Lisa Cherry in a conversation on 14th December at 7pm, recorded for the Podcast, on all things Trauma Informed Culture Change. Where do we go next? How do we get there? How do we layer the change that will see services and systems fit for 21st Century practice?

Back in the Summer of 2022, Lisa wrote a tweet highlighting an emerging finding in her doctoral research regarding relationships that ‘saved my life’ and were ‘a game-changer’. The response on Twitter was immediate and a subject that people really wanted to explore. A meeting was set up online out of which a Steering Group was created alongside […]

You may have noticed that I have a slight obsession with coffee and you wouldn’t be wrong. This can be a challenge as a UK resident as I often need to try a few cups in each area I am in before I find a good coffee blend, a machine that is cleaned properly every […]

And just like that, the conference was on it’s last day. From the story of healing, to First Nations healing, through to the vulnerability of executive functioning with a deep dive into trauma, compassion and recovery, Friday had arrived. The day offered a number of master classes and I chose to spend more time on compassion with Paul Gilbert. However, an hour in, I […]

One minute you’re in a large hotel in the centre of Melbourne at a 3000 strong conference and the next, you’re in an empty guest house in the middle of nowhere. That takes some adjusting I can tell you! This situation offered me a good opportunity to think about how we transition from one space […]

Having given two presentations at the conference on Wednesday, I had the absolute honour of sitting on a women’s panel as we collectively brought our heart energy into the room and shared some deep connection time. One of the questions the audience asked the panel was about how we hold on to hope when we’ve […]

It’s Tuesday at the Australian Childhood Foundation Trauma Conference 2022 and it’s been yet another full day! There were several speakers that I had the pleasure of listening to today but I’m going to share the learnings from Louis Cozolino and Judy Atkinson as their work resonates with me the most (for very different reasons)! Louis Cozolino, focuses on […]

A gentle start to a week long conference designed to create a somewhat calmer space for 3000 people to register across a Sunday afternoon, opens with a conversation and you know how much I love conversations!  I’m going to share the wisdom from the first conversation with you which was facilitated by the very lovely Janise […]

During a time, not that long ago, way before ‘trauma informed’ fully entered (almost) the mainstream lexicon for schools, services and systems in the UK, I had a dream. Before Brexit, Johnson and the biggest onslaught on our preventative services otherwise known as the ‘the violence of austerity’  (Whyte and Cooper, 2017), I was on […]

I recently had an experience that I felt so strongly about that I wrote publicly about it. The post was called “Trauma Informed Practice; How Do We Walk The Talk” and looked at what happens when a relationship breaks down with an organisation. That post was read over 7000 times. My inbox was continuously pinging. WhatsApp was alerting […]

In this short series of exploring trauma informed ways of being, we are being invited to think about developing what it is that sits behind was has been termed Trauma Informed Practice (TIP). #1 started us off with sitting in a place of love and curiosity, not fear and judgement#2 helped us think more about awareness#3 asked […]

In this short series of exploring trauma informed ways of being, we are being invited to think about developing what it is that sits behind was has been termed Trauma Informed Practice (TIP). #1 started us off with sitting in a place of love and curiosity, not fear and judgement#2 helped us think more about awareness Setting […]

In this short series of exploring trauma informed ways of being, we are being invited to think about developing what it is that sits behind was has been termed Trauma Informed Practice (TIP). #1 started us off with sitting in a place of love and curiosity, not fear and judgement. Setting the scene in thinking about […]

This is the first of a series of short blog posts that will be shared over the coming weeks that help us to reflect and think about trauma informed ways of being that sit behind the practice. This is to support us in thinking more deeply beyond the buzz word and the tick box that […]

There is no doubt that the notion of becoming Trauma Informed has become a buzz word.  That popularity leaves what should be a transformative exercise at risk of becoming a tick box exercise, to be completed as swiftly and financially efficiently as possible. Inevitable really but with potentially devastating consequences.  I want to take a […]

As a professional Trainer and speaker working across and within many organisations, services and schools throughout the UK that serve children, young people and their families, I take safeguarding very seriously. However, in my experience, my safeguarding duties to the participants I am working with as an independent trainer, rarely come up for discussion. I suspect there […]

This month, many schools opened up their numbers to include Reception, Year One and Year 6 children to sit alongside the children of keyworkers and also those children unhelpfully labeled as ‘vulnerable children’. Many schools did not and many local authorities have felt that they simply were not ready. It’s a complicated picture as the […]

After yesterday’s gentle conversations, we launched into a full day Masterclass at the conference. There were several going on throughout the day and I chose to spend the day with a First Nations panel which was a first for the conference. For me there is so much crossover with the care experience, not least because Aboriginal and […]

This is a piece of writing completed in 2013 that explores the journey undertaken in attempting to find out about and make sense of, the beginning of my life. My writing has improved since then! My need to reference everything is now a given. But I didn’t want to alter this writing. Like a painting, […]

Alongside many colleagues, I have been at the heart of what continues to be an integration into all sectors, a level of understanding about the impact of trauma and what we can do about it. I have been doing this particular piece of work using this particular language (Trauma informed, Adversity, ACE’s) for around 6/7 […]

I awoke on Boxing Day and it hit me; this time of year, usually signifying endings and beginnings was in fact very much a ‘middle.’ Loss washed over me, drowning my soul in profound sentences that were shaped by the emotions of shame, isolation (shame’s best friend) and a smidgen of disbelief. This ‘middle’ that […]

I have finished one week of Induction and Week One of the course and I’m lying on the floor weeping with exhaustion. Well… I managed to scrape myself up from the floor so I could write this blog post, obviously. But seriously, I am absolutely shattered. Why? All of that said, considering we’re in the […]

Why has the ACES research prompted a public moment and an angry debate all at once when so many other frames such as attachment, trauma, adversity, poverty, haven’t? Listen in to Part One here or if you prefer, you can watch here. Join me in conversation AGAIN with Dr Suzanne Zeedyk for Part Two as we explore some […]

Join me and Pooky Knightsmith as we dive deeply into mental health, anorexia, autism relationships that make a difference and what it means to bring the professional, the academic and the personal into the arena An internationally respected face of child and adolescent mental health, Pooky works tirelessly to ‘be the change she wants to […]

In this week’s conversation, we explore ACE’s, the tragedy of the medical model and the wave of social change. We could have talked for hours and much time was spent unpicking the programme recently aired called What’s The Matter With Tony Slattery. Grab a cuppa, sit back and join the conversation… Warren has extensive experience working […]

We can only meet someone as deeply as we have met ourselves. I must have read a sentence similar to that somewhere years ago and if you have read any of my writing, attended any of my courses or simply had a conversation with me, you will know that this sentiment runs through all of […]

A quick anecdotal peruse around Twitter conversations suggests to me that our collective patience is running very thin. My own experience this week as I consider my inbox, my responses and chats with friends supports this view too. The reduction of real life relationships, those ones that look us in the eye, that feel our […]

A deeper conversation looking at trauma, social injustice and organisational capacity for holding the space during the pandemic. Make a cuppa and then relax into this discussion. You might need a notepad and a pen!

When We Emerge When we emergewith cleaner cupboardslonger hairunphased by Zoomspeaking more French,or playing the guitar When we can meetand hugand laughand share reliefand grief When we no longer fearfor relatives in careno longer hesitateto pick up postor handle fruitno longer dodgewhoever comes our way When we returnto schools and officesand shops and gymsand pubs […]

At the beginning of ‘lockdown’ which has been affectionately renamed ‘safe keeping’, I spent a lot of time thinking about how I could serve you. You may or may not know that I host a rather fab podcast that creates the kind of conversations that make a difference. The podcast is in Season Two and […]

I was made for living in a digital world. I remember that moment when someone explained the World. Wide. Web. to me in, I think, around 1997. My eyes widened, my jaw dropped and I said with an enthusiasm usually ascribed to discovering that the cake I just ate was made out of beetroot and avocado, […]

As school leaders begin to ponder how best to prepare for a return of the school community, the confusing enormity of their task is unfolding. They are accustomed to integrating vulnerable children from complex backgrounds at the beginning of a new school year, but the issues confronting them now are multiple – and are likely […]

One area that stands out for me during this whole experience of Covid 19 is grief and loss. As we settle into week 6 (or 7 if like me you made the decision slightly ahead of the Government) of this new normal, we can locate the loss of so much which sits alongside the intensity […]