Understanding Early Trauma Breakfast Seminar

The Understanding Early Trauma Seminar brings together leaders in the field of trauma, attachment, and ACEs. Through presentations and a panel discussion, guests will explore how exposure to trauma in the earliest years can have a significant impact on brain development, potentially leaving serious and lasting consequences that can create difficulties for the child into their adult years.

We will explore how the buffering impacts of caring relationships can change the trajectory of a child’s life with the support of health professionals, parents and carers.

What is Infant Mental Health Awareness Week?

Infant Mental Health Awareness Week takes place globally from the 13th – 19th June. The 2022 theme is ‘Understanding Early Trauma’. Infant mental health is an often overlooked and misunderstood subject. Infant Mental Health Awareness Week provides an opportunity to discuss the importance of babies’ mental health as well as the issues that affect it.

Why Understanding Early Trauma?

The experiences we have in the earliest years of our lives impact the development of our brains. Experiencing trauma, such as exposure to domestic abuse, in the earliest years can have a significant impact on brain development, potentially leaving serious and lasting consequences that can create difficulties for the child into their adult years. This is not inevitable.

Secure relationships with parents and carers can reduce stress caused by trauma and limit the long term impact it has on the baby’s development.

How can specialist support and early intervention help to strengthen these relationships, reduce harm and change the trajectory for babies today and into the future?

Don’t miss the 2022 Understanding Early Trauma seminar with leaders in the fields of infant mental health, attachment, and trauma.

Meet your speakers:

Louise Newman AM

Louise Newman AM is a Professorial Fellow in Psychiatry at the University of Melbourne, and Adjunct Professor of Psychiatry at Newcastle University and Monash University. She has held senior leadership positions in mental health training and research, including director of the NSW Institute of Psychiatry, and director of the Monash University Centre for Developmental Psychiatry and Psychology, and she is currently Director of the Melbourne University BEAR (Building Early Attachment and Resilience) research unit. She is recognised as Australia’s leading researcher in the areas of infant and early child development, disturbances of early parenting, and parent–infant interventions.

Colby Pearce – Seminar presenter and panelist, is a practicing Clinical Psychologist with twenty-seven years’ experience working with children and young people recovering from abuse and neglect. He is also an author and educator in trauma-informed, therapeutic caregiving. Colby’s programs are implemented in Australia and Ireland, and he is well-known for his practical and accessible guidance for caregivers and professionals alike.

Annette Vickery – Seminar Panelist, is a proud Gunditjmara woman with extensive experience across public, private and community sectors. Annette is a signatory to the Aboriginal Justice Agreement Phase 4, an ambassador for the Ngaga-dji (Hear Me) report and chairperson of the Western Metropolitan Regional Aboriginal Justice Advisory Committee. She has an active interest in social justice and human rights and is a lecturer at Victoria University on the social determinants of Aboriginal Health.

Dr Julie A Larrieu PhD

Dr Julie A Larrieu PhD is Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Director, Division of Clinical Psychology, Tulane University School of Medicine. Dr Larrieu’s clinical and research interests focus on infant mental health. Her work deals with abuse and neglect of infants and toddlers, including identifying risk factors for abuse, as well as predictors of successful treatment for parents who have maltreated their children. She provides training in infant mental health to professionals and to public health nurses who work with a variety of at-risk families.

Joy Osofsky, PhD

Joy Osofsky, PhD, is the Paul J. Ramsay Endowed Chair of Psychiatry and Barbara Lemann Professor of Child Welfare at Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center in New Orleans and Director of the Harris Center for Infant Mental Health Center. She is a board member and Past President of ZERO TO THREE. Dr. Osofsky is past president of the World Association for Infant Mental Health and has published widely and authored or edited seven books on trauma in the lives of children. She serves as Clinical Consultant on the Leadership team for the ZERO TO THREE Safe Babies Court Program and as the Chair of the Program Committee Workgroup for ZERO TO THREE’s Annual Conference.

Seminar Facilitator Dr Nicole Milburn

Dr Nicole Milburn is Chair of the Tweddle Foundation, Chair of the Australian Association for Infant Mental Health, Private Practice Clinical Psychologist and Infant Mental Health Consultant.

Event Details:

Date: Wednesday 15th June

Location: The Newport Substation - 1 Market Street Newport

Time: 8.30am light breakfast for 9am start – 12:00pm

Cost: $25 per person

Contact: (03) 9689 1577 for more information