Understanding Developmental Trauma
With Dr. Debra Stein, Child and adolescent psychiatrist, Garry Hurvitz Sickkids Centre for Community Mental Health (CCMH)
January 29, 2025
Description
Developmental trauma describes the effects of chronic and cumulative exposure to traumatic situations through a child's early years and is an important concept when working with newcomer children, youth and families who face adversity.
Developmental trauma describes the effects of chronic and cumulative exposure to traumatic situations through a child's early years and is an important concept when working with newcomer children, youth and families who face adversity.
Children with developmental trauma often have complex mental health presentations, as symptoms and impairment can occur across many diagnostic and functional domains.
Children with developmental trauma often have complex mental health presentations, as symptoms and impairment can occur across many diagnostic and functional domains.
At the end of this webinar, participants will be able to:
- Describe the different effects of chronic interpersonal trauma on the developing child
- Understand the concept of developmental trauma as a helpful framework for clinicians
- Learn ways to build safety and trust in children's relationships and promote healing.
About the presenter
Dr. Debra Stein is a child and adolescent psychiatrist at the Garry Hurvitz Sickkids Centre for Community Mental Health (CCMH), with a clinical focus on newcomer children, youth and families. Dr. Stein has more than 20 years of experience working with the refugee population in Toronto, formerly with the Canadian Centre for Victims of Torture and now as part of her role at CCMH, where she provides consultation on concerns of resettlement and acculturation. An Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at the University of Toronto, she has lectured on various aspects of refugee mental health, to a wide range of audiences in the school, settlement and mental health sectors. She currently acts as a Subject Matter Expert for online courses offered by CAMH’s Immigrant and Refugee Mental Health Project.