EPV 2026 SUMMER COURSE
Working With Children Who Have Experienced Trauma
Understanding how trauma impacts children, how this presents and how professionals can support children who have been impacted.
Course Fully Approved by Department of Education and Youth
Mental Health
The Impact on Children and Education
According to Mental Health Ireland (2019), one in every ten children in Ireland suffers from mental health difficulties, particularly anxiety and depression.
Suicide and self-harm rates in Ireland are among the highest in Europe and the numbers are increasing year on year. At the same time, we have longer waiting times for access to Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services so many children and their families have to manage their issues without appropriate intervention. This often leads to mayhem within classrooms where children act out their emotions and interfere with the learning of others, leaving teachers and support staff feeling ill-equipped to manage the situation.
“There can be no keener revelation of a society’s soul than the way in which it treats its children.”
Nelson Mandela, Former President of South Africa
Equipping Teachers & Caregivers
To support children's mental heatlh
Working with children from the perspective of understanding their experience, no matter what the trauma was, means that teachers can provide a quality of teaching that is unparalleled in terms of contributing to a long-lasting impact. For those in the education sector, tailoring lesson plans to be more empathetic and responsive to the needs of the child means that they will be more engaged and therefore want to learn more. This is an intrinsically valuable tool because research shows how education and knowledge can be a buffer for trauma in children and is likely to lead to better outcomes, despite their background. The leadership within education settings must incorporate a trauma-informed perspective and this has to begin somewhere.
After participants engage in this course, they will be equipped with the knowledge of how to work with and appreciate the complexities of children who have experienced trauma, and they can then share this knowledge. This means that the leadership in their workplace can implement this innovative ethos with all staff, thus improving the lives of so many more children.
This course is ten hours of audio content, visual content and assessment in total, and there are ten hours of recommended reading and resources for you to further develop your own learning.
Course Goals:
Obtain awareness of how the brain & body respond to traumatic events
Understand the key psychological components of trauma and how it’s easily misdiagnosed
Become equipped with effective exercises that can safely and easily be implemented
Become familiar with the neurobiology of trauma responses in children
Course breakdown
- 10 hours on-demand video material and 10 hours offline learning
- Online tutor moderation & support
- Downloadable articles and resources
- Access on mobile and desktop
- Course Fully Approved by Department of Education and Youth
- Full access to the course from the beginning so you can progress at your own pace
This course comes highly recommended as a Summer Course for teachers and has been coined "the most fundamental psychology course for anyone working with children - it needs to be mandatory".
Course Dates
GROUP 1
July 1st - 15th 2026
GROUP 2
July 20th – Aug 3rd 2026
GROUP 3
Aug 5th – 21st 2026
About Course Developer – Dr Lorraine Lynch
Dr Lorraine Lynch is an award-winning health psychologist, social entrepreneur and author who specialises in child mental health, behaviour, learning and wellbeing.
With a strong academic background in developmental and health psychology, and extensive experience working directly with schools, families and educators, her work bridges evidence-based theory and practical classroom application.
Dr Lynch’s approach is informed by ecological and choice-based models of psychology, recognising the powerful role of school environments, relationships and emotional wellbeing in supporting children’s development. She has lectured at third-level institutions, co-founded a nationally recognised psychological service for children and families, and is a published author and media contributor.
As EPV Summer Course Developer, Dr Lynch is committed to providing engaging, relevant and practical professional learning that empowers educators to create inclusive, supportive and psychologically informed learning environments.
“I can honestly say that the passion Lorraine has for this topic was obvious throughout this course and made it so enjoyable. I’ve done so many summer courses throughout the years and this was hands-down the best! I couldn’t stop thinking about it and have been telling my friends and family about all my new learnings. It’s like the Netflix of summer courses. I’ll definitely be back next year. Thank you again.”
Course Aims
- Understand the key psychological component of trauma
- Be able to identify the different types of trauma
- Be aware of the symptoms of trauma in a typical child
- Know the neurobiology of trauma
- Have a good understanding of how the brain responds to trauma
- Have an awareness of how the body responds to trauma
- Appreciate the immediate & long-term effects of PTSD on a child
- Understand the importance of appropriate therapy for the traumatised child
- Know how to support children who have experienced trauma
- Be introduced to effective exercises that can safely and easily be implemented
FAQs
Each course is divided into three groups that are running on the following dates:
- Group 1: July 1st – 15th 2026
- Group 2: July 20th – Aug 3rd 2026
- Group 3: Aug 5th – 21st 2026
The course starts and ends on each of the above dates. It is a completely self-paced online course – you decide when you complete tasks within your chosen course’s dates!
Yes, all work is monitored by our e-tutor team, which means that you will receive feedback and you will be notified if more detail is required.
All of our EPV Summer Courses cost €99 per course.
You can also save by bundling:
- €175 for two courses
- €250 for three courses
From early February until 30th April 2026, you can save
20% with our Early Bird offer using the code EARLYBIRD2026. The discount is automatically applied at checkout.
Just add your chosen course(s) and group date(s) to your cart and the correct price will be applied.
Please note: as per Department of Education and Youth (DEY) guidelines, you cannot complete two courses at the same time.
For example, you can complete two courses within the same group timeframe, but one must be completed before starting the second.
Our primary focus is on you learning and then supporting children with their emotional wellness. As a result, we place value on reflective learning. You’ll be asked to discuss your own understanding and experiences, as well as brief summaries of important topics. All assignments are less than 500 words.
We are obsessed with children’s wellness and our mission is to impart as much knowledge as we can on to the people who matter – the teachers and SNAs who are guiding, supporting and shaping our children every single day.
All of our courses have been developed with the most current research in the area of health and educational psychology. Students who have completed courses with us in the past keep coming back for more. Why? Because our customers complete courses that are jam-packed full of meaningful information and effective strategies that really do create change, not just across classrooms, but across careers!
You’ll receive an email with your login details one week before your course begins, with full instructions on how to access your course.
When your course opens, you can log in anytime by visiting our website and clicking Login at the top of the page.
Use:
- The email address you registered with
- Your password (or click Forgot Password if needed)
Once logged in, click Course Portal in the menu to access your course.