CASLPO News

Join Us for an E-Forum: Trauma-informed Care in Action

CASLPO is committed to supporting Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in healthcare. As part of that commitment, we are continuing our DEI E-Forum series and are excited share next session, Trauma-informed Care in Action. This program will take place in two parts.  

Session Details:

Registrants are encouraged to sign up for, and attend, both to maximize learning.

About the Speakers:

CASLPO welcomes guest speakers Gwen Merrick and Sylvia Ciechanowski for an interactive exploration of trauma-informed care principles and their application across audiology and speech-language pathology practice.

• Gwen Merrick is a Speech-language Pathologist, Psychotherapist, and Advanced SOMA Breath instructor who has spent over 20 years in hospital-based care before building a private practice offering voice therapy, psychotherapy, breathwork, and peer community for navigating life — together. Outside of work, you'll find Gwen leading Breath Raves on the beach, discovering the world of electronic dance music, and playing with her dog. Gwen believes trauma-informed care begins with the clinician. Before we can safely hold space for others, we need to regulate ourselves. In this talk, she offers a practical framework for what trauma-informed care is, what it isn't, and how to resource yourself and your clients in their most difficult moments - because the most effective tool in the room is you.
  
  Learn more about Gwen Merrick.
   
• Sylvia Ciechanowski is a registered Audiologist whose clinical experience includes working with older adults, people living with chronic illness, families, and interdisciplinary healthcare teams. Drawing on her experience at Baycrest and in other clinical settings, Sylvia will help participants consider how trauma-informed principles apply to audiology and how clinicians may already be incorporating aspects of trauma-informed care into their practice.
  
  Learn more about Sylvia Ciechanowski.

More Information About the Sessions:

Part 1: Understanding Trauma-Informed Care

In the first session, Gwen will introduce foundational trauma-informed principles and explore how clinicians’ and patients’ nervous-system responses can shape clinical interactions.

Participants will gain an understanding of:

• how trauma and dysregulation may present during clinical encounters;
• the importance of clinician self-awareness and self-regulation;
• how safety, trust, collaboration, choice, and empowerment support therapeutic relationships;
• approaches to rupture, repair, recovery, referral, and clinician well-being; and
• how prioritizing connection over control can improve engagement with patients and families.

Interim: Submit a Clinical Scenario

Registrants will have an opportunity to submit a clinical question or scenario for possible discussion during the second session. Submissions must not contain any names, personal health information, or other details that could identify a patient, family member, or care partner.

Although participants are encouraged to attend both sessions live, recordings will be made available following the series.

Part 2: Trauma-Informed Care in Practice

The second session will focus on applying trauma-informed principles to real clinical situations across audiology and speech-language pathology settings that attendees have submitted for discussion. 

Gwen and Sylvia will guide participants through audiology- and speech-language pathology–specific scenarios involving experiences such as sudden or progressive changes in communication or hearing, grief and loss, difficult diagnoses, family distress, and challenging care decisions.

Participants will explore practical approaches for:

• recognizing activation or dysregulation in themselves and others;
• responding to strong emotions with empathy and curiosity;
• supporting patient and family choice without losing sight of clinical responsibilities;
• communicating difficult information using tools such as NURSE and Ask–Share–Ask;
• repairing difficult interactions and involving the broader care team; and
• documenting sensitive encounters respectfully and without stigmatizing patients or families.

Registrants are encouraged to download and review the following handout prior to attendance:

Trauma-informed Care Handout

If you have any questions in advance of the E-Forum or issues with your registration, please email us at [email protected].

We look forward to your participation in this important conversation.