Healing Trauma Workshop by Hilary Betts Msc PGDip

Following her Master of Science Degree in Addiction Psychology and Counselling in 2004, Hilary completed further training in treating Developmental or Childhood Trauma, at The Meadows, Arizona, USA, with the late Pia Mellody. The Healing Trauma Workshop is based on the pioneering work of Pia Mellody, and what is known as The Meadows Model, and treating 'Survivors' of relational trauma.

My Philosophy

The Healing Trauma Workshop is a developmental and relational trauma model based on the belief that individuals or adult children who have experienced suffering in their lives, can receive relief, healing and experience joy again.  This in turn creates a new experience of their life that brings more happiness and fulfillment and creates deeper connection and attachments in relationships.  I believe the Workshop promotes a greater ability to maintain recovery for people with addiction and prevent relapse. It also helps the families and friends of addiction, and adult children of addiction and dysfunctional families.

The Workshop

This workshop is designed for individuals seeking to effectively understand and investigate Developmental or Childhood Trauma, where a person has experiences of 'less than nurturing' parenting from their primary caregivers, causing emotional, physical, sexual, and intellectual harms, or neglectful harm through chronic inconsistency to the child from anywhere between birth and 17 years old.

Whether this happens in the family of origin, or from others outside the family, long forgotten abuse can have a lasting impact in a variety of dysfunctional ways. Often the effects of the dysfunction manifest in relationships in adulthood, and pervasive patterns can still operate, sometimes out of awareness, in the here and now.

Even individuals who've grown up in healthy, and functional family systems, who experience trauma in adulthood can suffer from relational trauma. For example, through betrayal of trust, or severe psychological stress or abuse, or enmeshment.  This type of adult pain by definition causes relational trauma.

The Workshop participants primary focus will be to learn about early childhood and adolescent issues that have fuelled various addictions, relational issues, depression/mood/anxiety disorders, and painful relationships, helping to deepen recovery, and resolve the consequential anguish, pain and grief.