Dr Karen Treisman: The Power of Language
Full Course Title
The Power of Language, the Words we Use & How We Describe People
Summary of Training
This powerful and important workshop is so crucial as language is free for many of us and yet it is so impactful and can have so many ripple effects. Our language can colour and feature into all that we do and across each sector and throughout the different ways in which we communicate and within every context.
Therefore, this workshop is open to a whole range of roles and professions as it will have something for everyone who attends. There are many examples drawn on, however, many are from a trauma lens, from fostering contexts, and from some of the language used in schools, in social services, in children’s homes, amongst others.
Training Outline
This workshop explores and reflects on the words which we use in conversations, in interventions, in notes/recordings/ logs, in places like meetings & consultations, as well as on our website, brochures, and posters. We look at the words and terms we use to talk about people and describe them; as well as talking with other professionals and infusing different ways of communicating into conversations.
We will also think about how the way we speak can influence and impact our and others’ lens, bias, prejudice, attitude, actions, and so forth. This includes thinking about attentional and confirmation biases, as well as diagnostic and label overshadowing.
We also look at why our words can be healing or harmful, or trauma-inducing or trauma-reducing, and we will think about how words can make worlds. And how one word can make a difference because “every interaction can be an intervention” (Treisman, 2017).
We will also consider some of the ways that trauma can impact speech and language, as well as our emotional dictionary and emotional vocabulary.
This includes a spotlight on person first language, externalising language, opinion-based language, the meaning behind acronyms, and much more. Stories, anecdotes, and top tips will be shared; as well as powerful images.
There will be opportunities to reflect, share thoughts, and discuss with others in the group.
Attendees will leave with an increased sensitivity and awareness to the power of language; as well as some tangible examples and ways which we can use language with more care and intentionality.
About Dr Karen Treisman
Dr Karen Treisman is a Highly Specialist Clinical Psychologist who has worked in the National Health System and children’s services for several years. Karen has also worked cross-culturally in both Africa and Asia with groups ranging from former child soldiers to survivors of the Rwandan Genocide. She also is the author of 10 books, including the bestselling book, “The therapeutic treasure box”, 4 sets of therapeutic card decks, and 6 therapeutic soft cuddly toys.
Karen has extensive experience in the areas of trauma, parenting, adversity (ACE’s) and attachment, and works clinically using a range of therapeutic approaches with families, systems, and children in or on the edge of care, unaccompanied asylum-seeking young people, and adopted children. Karen also specialises in supporting organisations and systems to move towards becoming, and to sustain adversity, culturally and, trauma-informed, infused, and responsive practice. This work focuses on creating meaningful and multi-layered cultural and paradigm shift across whole systems. This was the focus of Dr Treisman’s Winston Churchill Fellowship Karen was awarded a Winston Churchill Fellowship Travel Award which involved visited several places in the USA to further study whole system and organisational approaches to trauma-informed and trauma-responsive care and this topic is the focus of Dr Treisman’s newly released book entitled “A Treasure Box for Creating Trauma-Informed Organizations: A Ready-to-Use Resource For Trauma, Adversity, and Culturally Informed, Infused and Responsive Systems”.
In addition to holding a doctorate in Clinical psychology, Karen has undergone a range of specialist training courses including in EMDR, Narrative Therapy, Trauma-focused CBT, Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy, Systemic Psychotherapy, Video Interaction Guidance, Sensory Approaches, and Theraplay.
Karen has previously worked in both Milton Keynes’s and Kensington and Chelsea’s Looked after Children and fostering services, and within the National Implementation Service for evidence-based interventions for Looked after children, children on the edge of care, and children in custody at the Michael Rutter Centre in the Maudsley Hospital; and as Clinical Lead for a court assessment and intensive intervention team for children on the edge of care and in proceedings in Islington.
Karen is an external consultant, trainer, speaker, and assessor to a variety of local authorities and organisations including Barnardos, PAC-UK, AdoptionPlus, BAAT, Pause, Action Trauma, Grandparents Plus, Three Steps Ireland, MedicaCPD, and the Fostering Network. Karen is also an expert witness and regularly undergoes a variety of assessments for court. Additionally, Karen is also a reviewer for the Journal of Adoption and Fostering.
Karen was also awarded the 2018 Psychology Professional of the Year Award for Excellence in Attachment and Trauma; and Youth Psychology Professional of the Year 2020. Karen was also awarded an MBE (Queens Honour list 2020).
Karen regularly attends and presents at local, national, and international trauma, parenting, and attachment conferences (See the events tab on this website). Karen is also a TEDx speaker on the power of relationships and viewing behaviour as communication.
Karen is the author of “Working with children and adolescents who have experienced relational and developmental trauma” (Routledge, 2016); and the best-selling book- “A Therapeutic Treasure Box for Working with Children and Adolescents with Developmental Trauma: Creative techniques and activities”. Karen is also the designer of “A Therapeutic Treasure Deck: Sentence-completion and Feelings Cards”; and “A Therapeutic Treasure Deck: Grounding, Regulating, Coping, and Soothing Cards”; and the Parenting Patchwork Treasure Deck. Karen is also the designer of Neon the Ninja toy and workbook- ; Gilly the Giraffe (Self-esteem & confidence), Cleo the Croc (Children who have been hurt and learned to be afraid to let people close, Presley the Pug (Emotional regulation, relaxation, calm, mindfulness, and finding an emotional safe place), and Binnie the Baboon (Anxiety, fear, stress, and worry).
Ethical Conduct
It is a requirement that all participants adhere to ethical conduct in the context of events including:
- Respect for our team, trainers and other attendees
- Adherence to policies and procedures
- Maintaining confidentiality and privacy
- Sensitivity to complex issues being discussed
Anyone in breach of these threshold requirements may be removed from an event and could be unable to attend further events in the future. This is to safeguard the staff and participants as well as to enable quality assurance for the safety and wellbeing of all attendees.
In booking an event these criteria are agreed to in principle and committed to in practice.
Self-Care Notice
Therapeutic trainings can work with complex and emotive topics that may be deeply personal for some delegates, depending on their lived experience. There will be breaks included on the day and one to one support will be available if needed, but please do reflect on whether you feel able to attend. Your safety and wellbeing is of paramount importance.
Recordings
Please note – our live online events are NOT recorded for purchase or view at a later date nor do we permit independent recordings of the event to be made. This is to safeguard the nurturing and contained environment we create online in order to maintain our culture of safe, private and supported interactivity and sharing.
Uncredited Use or Replication of Content Shared
On behalf of the trainers we work with, we do not allow content shared during our CPD days to be replicated or used in any way without due credit to the copyright owner. Doing so without previous consent may result in exclusion from further events.
Ways to Pay
It is possible to arrange payments for tickets to our events in instalments on the condition that the full balance has been received no later than one month before the chosen event takes place. We also offer discounts for groups / teams of 3+, discounts for individuals booking 3 events or more, and we can provide invoices if you wanted to arrange for your place of work to pay for you (advance payment required). To discuss or arrange any of these ways to pay, please email [email protected]
Terms & Conditions
All bookings to be paid in full except where private arrangements have been made to pay in instalments and agreed by us. Tickets &/ or any instalment payments are non-refundable once payment has been made. You can re-sell or transfer your ticket to another attendee up to 24 hours before the event opens – as long as we have notice in writing with their name. On request With Kokoro Ltd may be able to help advertise and/or facilitate any re-sales but this will incur an admin fee of £15.00 to cover our costs including subsequent charges we receive from the ticket providers. Please note With Kokoro Ltd cannot ever guarantee a successful re-sale and responsibility for finding a new purchaser remains with the original ticket holder at all times. No transfer or refund will be considered for a ‘no show’ on the day of the event or if you choose to leave the event early.
If you are booking a ticket as part of a discount offer, only ONE discount can be applied to a ticket at any one time.
With Kokoro Ltd reserves the right to make changes to the booking terms and conditions, the timetable, content and/or any events at any time due to unforeseen circumstances. In the event of cancellation by us and if we cannot offer an alternative date, we will refund the cost of the ticket price for the event in full. We will not be responsible for any further cost incurred by you in relation to your booking.
