What Happened to You? A Course on the Treatment of Complex Trauma

The online course “What Happened to You? Psychological Trauma, Its Impact, and Treatment” consists of five meetings with a total duration of 15 hours, including experiential exercises focused on stabilization and safety in the treatment of Complex Trauma. The instructors are Dr. Sofia Protopapa, Mental Health Counselor, Trauma Therapist, CMHC Supervisor, CSP, GCDF, and Angeliki Chougia, Psychologist, Family Therapist, M.A., CSP, GCDF.

In this course, we will explore what complex trauma is and how it can be approached therapeutically. Participants will practice 10 to 15 experiential exercises that can be applied directly in therapy sessions.

In the treatment of complex trauma, stabilization is not an optional phase but an ongoing process and the foundation upon which therapy can be conducted safely. When an individual moves outside their window of tolerance, the prefrontal cortex effectively “shuts down,” making it necessary to first regulate the body before engaging the mind.

The course will provide participants with the opportunity to practice experiential exercises while simultaneously establishing the theoretical framework for the treatment of complex trauma.

The meetings will be conducted online (via Zoom) and begin on Friday, November 6, 2026 (Start Time: 10:00 a.m., Athens time).

This course is intended for mental health professionals and students, including:

• Psychologists
• Psychotherapists
• Mental Health Counselors
• Psychiatrists
• Social Workers

To ensure that each professional or trainee acquires practical tools that can be immediately applied in clinical work or supervised practice, the experiential exercises presented in this course focus on cultivating a sense of safety and supporting nervous system regulation.

• Introduction: Psychoeducation, Knowledge and understanding, the Nervous system, and the Window of tolerance
• Observation / Attunement: Identifying triggers, Pausing, Body awareness, Thoughts and emotions, Mindfulness, and Dual awareness
• Regulation: Breathing and grounding techniques, Movement, and co-regulation
• Integration & Deepening: Self-Compassion and Self-Care, Writing a healthy personal narrative, Finding pleasure in the here and now, and Deepening connection and relationships

Each exercise is presented and experientially practiced, accompanied by practical guidance on when and how to use it, depending on the client’s level of hyperarousal, hypoarousal, or dissociation.

Specifically, the course will introduce:

Bottom-Up Approaches: From the body to the mind. These include somatic and sensorimotor techniques and are prioritized when an individual is outside their window of tolerance, experiencing intense hyperarousal, collapse, or dissociation.
Top-Down Approaches: From the mind to the body. These include cognitive techniques and guided imagery, and are most appropriate when an individual is within or close to their window of tolerance.

The treatment of complex trauma follows a phasic approach designed to provide individuals with the time and space needed to prepare before processing traumatic memories.

PHASE 1: Assessment, History Taking, Therapeutic Relationship, and Establishing a Sense of Safety
PHASE 2: Preparation, Safety & Stabilization
PHASE 3: Trauma Treatment, Addressing Traumatic Stress Symptoms and Triggers, Emotion Regulation
PHASE 4: Post-Traumatic Growth, Psychological Resilience, and Healthy Interpersonal Relationships

1st Session | Friday, November 6 | 10:00–13:00
Theoretical & clinical foundations for stabilization and safety
Complex trauma and neurobiology, nervous system and the Window of Tolerance, recognizing parts of the self, presentation of in-session exercises, and skills practice.

2nd Session | Friday, November 13 | 10:00–13:00
Observation / nervous system attunement: identifying triggers, pausing, awareness of the body, thoughts and emotions, mindfulness, and dual awareness.

3rd Session | Friday, November 20 | 10:00–13:00
Regulation: breathing and grounding, movement, co-regulation
Body- and touch-based regulation, installation and activation of internal and external resources, oscillation between activation and resource states.

4th Session | Friday, November 27 | 10:00–13:00
Integration & deepening: self-compassion and self-care, developing a healthy personal narrative, pleasure in the here and now.

5th Session | Friday, December 4 | 10:00–13:00
Deepening connection and relationships, synthesis of a personal stabilization plan.

Upon completion of the course, you will gain 15CE credits. Further, you will be able to:

• Understand and explain the Window of Tolerance and the states of the autonomic nervous system.
• Choose between Top-Down or Bottom-Up techniques depending on the client’s state.
• Apply 15 experiential stabilization exercises, ranging from breathing techniques to parts-work approaches.
• Guide clients to safely manage both hyperarousal and hypoarousal states.
• Teach clients self-regulation skills in an appropriate pace and a structured manner.
• Provide support for drafting a personal stabilization plan.

Dr. Sofia Protopapa, Mental Health Counselor · Trauma Therapist · CMHC Supervisor, CSP, GCDF

and

Angeliki Chougia, Psychologist · Family Therapist, M.A., CSP, GCDF

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1. The participation fee is €300.
2. For registrations completed by 30 September, 2026, the participation fee is €250.