• Executive Director of Trauma Education & Consultation Services, Inc.
• Executive Director of Eagle's Landing Christian Counseling Center, Inc.

Dr. R. Denice Colson is a Licensed Professional Counselor,
author, conference speaker, workshop and seminar leader, consultant and
certified supervisor of students, professional counselors and addiction
counselors. She has worked in the counseling field since 1982 and specialized
in treating survivors of trauma since 1993. She has researched and developed
Strategic Trauma and Abuse Recovery® a spiritually-integrated, comprehensive
trauma recovery model. She has published a book and workbook for survivors, "Break
Every Stinking Chain! Healing for Hidden Wounds" and a training manual for
treatment providers, "Strategic Trauma and Abuse Recovery®: A Detailed Map for
Healing".

Dr. Colson provides workshops for organizations wanting to become more
trauma-informed, implement Strategic Trauma and Abuse Recovery®, understand the
impact of trauma and Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs), and other topics in
the professional and addiction counseling fields. She also provides the keynote
address for Christian churches wanting to increase their knowledge of the
impact of trauma, ACEs, and spiritual healing, recovery, and development. Her
seminars, workshops, and keynotes have been described as inspirational,
personable, engaging, and hopeful.

WORKSHOPS, PRESENTATIONS AND SEMINAR TOPICS AND DESCRIPTIONS

Strategic Trauma and Abuse Recovery©: A Detailed Map for Healing
Strategic Trauma and Abuse Recovery® is an evidence-informed, spiritually
integrated, structured process for conducting ACEs (trauma) recovery education
and treatment. The Backbone of S.T.A.R. is The 3 Progressive Phases of Trauma
and Abuse Recovery©. These 3 phases are further broken down into 12 stages,
which provides for transitions and breaks down the process in a simpler
fashion. The stages provide a strategy for moving through the healing process,
much like a map. It gives both providers and clients a structure to use as they
move together through the healing process. Research is currently being
conducted to move this model to evidence-based status and certification is
available.
STAR is evidence-informed.
You can read more and register or join our email list at
www.TraumaEducation.com/training.html

Treating the Trauma of Substance Use Disorders Using the Strategic Trauma and
Abuse Recovery® System
A Substance Use Disorder creates trauma for families or loved ones. In the
Strategic Trauma and Abuse Recovery© system, we believe that the substance
becomes a source of trauma for the user themselves. STAR is an
evidence-informed, spiritually-integrated, structured process for conducting
trauma treatment. The 3 phases/12 stages, provide a recovery plan to be used in
individual or group counseling. We will be applying Phases 1 and 2, Safety and
Stabilization, and Reprocessing and Grieving, to the substance, use disordered
client and family. This is a manualized model currently undergoing research.
Christian-integration is presented, but not required. This workshop can serve
as an introduction to STAR, or as an additional application of STAR for those
who have previously attended the 3-day basic workshop. Read more at
www.TraumaEducation.com

Becoming a MORE Trauma-Informed Addiction Counselor
Research demonstrates that 65% of alcoholism is attributable to childhood
adversity. However, many treatment programs continue to focus solely on
symptoms. Research also demonstrates that childhood trauma is common, affecting
2/3 of Americans, but usually ignored or denied. In this workshop, we will
review research outcomes from the ACE study and others, which demonstrate the
importance of adding trauma recovery to addiction treatment. We will review
SAMHSA's guidelines for best-practices of trauma treatment and how you can move
up the developmental ladder in your address of trauma. The author will present
a six-stage model to explain how a person moves from childhood trauma to adult
SUD and introduce her three- phase, 12-stage Model of trauma recovery, which
can be used to educate, promote, and support ongoing substance use recovery.
Participants will leave with a greater understanding of the links between
trauma and addiction, a couple of educational tools to use with clients,
strategies for introducing the conversation about trauma with addiction
clients, and two assessment tools to use in their own practice or ministry.
Participants will:
1. Discuss the research that demonstrates links between childhood trauma and
adult/adolescent addiction
2. Identify the six progressive stages for developing a trauma survivor and
addict
3. Explore strategies for introducing trauma-informed care into addiction
treatment using assessment and education.

Trauma Matters: Integrating Spirituality and Strategy for Recovery
Through this workshop, participants will understand the importance of dealing
with the past in order to take command of the present. While behavioral change
is vital, many self-defeating behaviors are rooted in survival and brain
changes due to childhood and adult adversity. These behaviors can be resistant
to change. We will review the three phases common to successful trauma recovery
and the 12 strategic stages developed by Dr. Colson to break the phases down
into a manageable and trackable process. We will concentrate our focus on the
first phase, covered in Denice Colson's book and workbook, Break Every Stinking
Chain! Healing for Hidden Wounds. Participants will learn how to begin using the
book and workbook to reach out to churches in their community and how to use
them in individual and group counseling in their office.
1. Participants will name and describe three "common factors" phases in trauma
recovery.
2. Participants will discuss the ethical integration of Christian faith in
trauma recovery.
3. Participants will explore 12 strategically aligned stages that promote
recovery from trauma and prevent the blocking of recovery.

Fighting Back against the Inter-generational Transmission of Trauma
The Adverse Childhood Experiences Study was initiated in 1995 and is perhaps
the largest of its kind. View evidence from this study and others which
demonstrates 1. ACEs are common, threatening, and often denied; 2. ACEs have a
profound effect even 50 years later on addiction, health risks, diseases, and
death; and 3. This combination makes ACEs a major factor underlying addictions
and the leading determinant of the health and social well-being of the nation.
Evidence from this extensively published research project will be presented
along with proposals for evaluation, treatment, and policy.
Participants will:
1. You will be able to identify 3 reasons why it is important to consider the
links between adverse childhood experiences and adult behavioral health issues.
2. You will be able to identify at least 3 general outcomes of the ACE study
which impact your understanding of the origins of addiction and other
behavioral health issues.
3. You will leave with at least one idea for implementing trauma-informed care
into your counseling work.

Child Abuse Damages a Whole life, not Just a Childhood
The Adverse Childhood Experiences Study was initiated in 1995 and is perhaps
the largest of its kind. View evidence from this study and others which
demonstrates 1. ACEs are common, threatening, and often denied; 2. ACEs have a
profound effect even 50 years later on addiction, health risks, diseases, and
death; and 3. This combination makes ACEs a major factor underlying addictions
and the leading determinant of the health and social well-being of the nation.
Evidence from this extensively published research project will be presented
along with proposals for evaluation, treatment, and policy.
Participants will:
1. You will be able to identify 3 reasons why it is important to consider the
links between adverse childhood experiences and adult behavioral health issues.
2. You will be able to identify at least 3 general outcomes of the ACE study
which impact your understanding of the origins of addiction and other behavioral
health issues.
3. You will leave with at least one idea for implementing trauma-informed care
into your counseling work.

Debunking 6 Myths about Trauma and Recovery
What blocks people from addressing past trauma and its impact on their lives?
Dr. Colson has identified 6 primary myths that keep people from healing from
the wounds of trauma. She overviews these and presents the truth in an
interactive, educational, and interesting manner.
Participants will identify 6 commonly held myths about childhood and
adult-onset trauma.
Participants will learn strategies to address and debunk the myths to help
clients move forward in recovery.
Participants will learn the 4 strategic stages of Phase One: Safety and
Stabilization.

The Emotionally and Spiritually Healthy Woman (Person) of God
Emotional and spiritual health go hand-in-hand. People can be emotionally
mature without being spiritually born again. People can be deeply committed to
Christian life and remain emotionally unaware and socially awkward and alone.
Emotional growth and spiritual growth require intentionality and focus. This
workshop will bring the two together and identify blocks to emotional and
spiritual growth.

Making a Differential Diagnosis Using the DSM-5 and ICD-10
"Differential diagnosis" is the method by which a clinician
determines what DSM-5 disorder most closely explains a client's symptoms. This
workshop will provide hands-on practice and assistance in using the DSM-5 and
the ICD-10.
We will overview most diagnostic categories, pointing out some differences
between DSM IV-tr and DSM-5, and then spend much of our time reviewing case
presentations and working together in small groups to make a differential
mental health diagnoses. We will also practice making a diagnosis using the
ICD-10 online version. We will also be reviewing billing codes for ICD-10.
We will be present a systematic approach to diagnosing, which anyone can
follow. Bring your own copy of the DSM-5™ or the DSM-5™ Desk Reference so that
you can understand the organization and flow. The ICD-10 is available online
from the World Health Organization.
We will learn, grow, and have some fun together as we work to improve our
skills at diagnosing. Feel free to bring case studies without identifying
information to help work on a diagnosis in your workgroup.
6 hours
1. Identify the purpose, place, and guidelines for making an accurate and
ethical diagnosis.
2. Review each category of the DSM-5, identifying changes and pertinent
information.
3. Complete 4 fully written DSM-5™ diagnoses on case examples presented in the
training, along with coordinating ICD-10 codes.