Program Overview

Trauma-informed Care: Theory and Practice - Continuing Professional Development Certificate

The Certificate in Continuing Development in Trauma-informed Care is designed to meet the educational and professional skills needs for front-line practitioners in the integration of trauma-informed practices into their role as a response to working with children, young people, adults and/or their families who have experienced trauma.

Course Outline

This programme focuses on both developing practitioners' understanding of the lived and living experience of trauma and effectively intervening with those that have experienced trauma across the life span. The programme is practice-oriented and focuses on integrating trauma-informed practices through a practice framework that was developed by Dr. Maria Lotty, entitled TARA (Trauma, Attachment, Resilience into Action).

Course Practicalities

The programme will be delivered on a part-time basis, consisting of 1.5 pre-recorded lectures and 1.5 live online sessions. The schedule for the January 2026 intake will be announced shortly. Please note that owing to the nature of this programme, places are limited. If the programme is oversubscribed, a second cohort may be opened.

Assessment

The programme is assessed through 2 x 3000-word assignments, set at the end of each module.

Why Choose This Course

This course is the only university-based credit-bearing CPD course in Ireland that offers practitioners the opportunity to enhance their understanding of the effects of trauma and introduce them to the application of the Trauma-informed Care approach into their practice. It introduces the theoretical framework that underpins the practice of Trauma-informed Care, informed by Dr. Maria Lotty's research and extensive professional experience.

Requirements

• A level eight honours degree or equivalent qualification within a relevant field, such as social work, psychology, social care, youth and community work, family support, psychotherapy, healthcare, or family support.
• Applicants without an NFQ level 8 award are eligible to apply, subject to the approval of the programme Academic Director, if they can demonstrate at least three years' professional experience in a related field.
• English Language Requirement: All applicants whose first language is not English are required to sit either an IELTS test or a recognised equivalent test. The minimum requirement is an IELTS score of 6.5, or the equivalent TOEFL score with no individual section lower than 6.0.

Fees and Costs

The fee for this programme is €1000. For further information on fees and financial supports, please refer to the relevant section.

Modules

The modules for the Certificate are as follows:

• SS6806 Understanding Trauma-informed Care: Principles and Theory
• SS6807 Application of Trauma-informed Care: Intervention and Practice

Target Audience

This course is particularly relevant to those interested in and/or working with children, young people, adults, and/or families in roles in health and social care, such as social care leaders, childcare leaders, youth workers, social workers, community workers, family support workers, psychotherapists, residential care staff, and mental health professionals. Interested parties with a qualification in teaching (Early Years, Primary, and/or Secondary School) are advised to consider the CPD Certificate in Trauma-informed Practice in Education.