A comprehensive course co-run by The Institute for Arts in Therapy and Education (Academic Partner of the University of East London) and Centre for Child Mental Health examining the causes of mental health problems in children and young people and how to help them heal.

Delivered by Dr Margot Sunderland and other top psychologists and experts by lived experience, this training is for anyone who works with children and young people who wants the neuroscientific and psychological truth about mental health problems and how people can go on to live quality of life without emotional baggage. Proof? Trauma Informed Schools UK (sister organisation of IATE/CCMH) has been using this knowledge and interventions in over 5000 schools with over 20,000 staff. The knowledge and interventions are changing so many lives.

Who it is for: Anyone working with children and young people or parents who would like to develop their knowledge and understanding of mental health problems

Duration/Format: 10 x 2 hr modules that can either be watched live (Thursday evenings, dates between Dec 2024-July 2025), or as a recording (after the live dates) and assessment

Live Dates: 20th March 2025, 24th April 2025, 8th May 2025, 22nd May 2025, 26th June 2025, 3rd July 2025.

Admission Requirements: No prior experience required.

Fees: £545

How to Apply: Complete an online application form and we'll be in touch. 

About the training

In the public arena, the media and schools, the narrative about mental health sounds a bit like symptoms descend on you like Covid or the common cold. It’s a narrative that’s superficial, impoverished, brings little hope and is not neuroscience or psychology research informed. It rarely informs you about causes (apart from broken brain and faulty genes myths which are just plain wrong) or about how to recover, meaning transformational change rather than just temporary relief or symptom control. In contrast when people are given the wealth of research (made accessible) and fascinating insights about the impact of unprocessed traumatic life experience on mind, body and brain, they feel both relief and hope. They are often motivated to engage in the relational interventions proven to bring mind in torment to mind in peace.

Course Module Content

• Causes of mental health problems: helping children and young people (cyp) heal.
• Causes of chronic anxiety, phobias, obsessive compulsive rituals, panic attacks, insomnia: helping cyp heal
• Causes of emotionally based school avoidance: helping cyp heal
• Causes of depression: helping cyp heal
• Causes of self-harm: helping children helping cyp heal
• Causes of hearing voices, dissociation, ‘psychosis’: helping cyp heal
• Causes of low self-esteem/self-hate: helping cyp heal
• Causes of anger problems/complex PTSD/violent behaviour: helping cyp heal
• Eating disorders, body dysmorphia, somatic symptoms, causes and healing
• Suicidal ideation and attempts: causes, healing and prevention.

How it works

Attend the 10 modules in any order, watch them live or the recording after the event. 

Time Commitment

• 10 x 2 hour sessions (one or two Thursday evenings a month or watch the recording in your own time)
• Live dates: 20th March 2025, 24th April 2025, 8th May 2025, 22nd May 2025, 26th June 2025, 3rd July 2025.
• 2 x additional mental health webinars on therapeutic relational skills (watch in your own time)
• Assessment: Multiple choice to assess your assimilation of the course content