Rewiring Trauma's Inner Dialogue

CPD

Planning Committee Disclosure - No relevant relationships

All members of the PESI, Inc. planning committee have provided disclosures of financial relationships with ineligible organizations and any relevant non-financial relationships prior to planning content for this activity. None of the committee members had relevant financial relationships with ineligible companies or other potentially biasing relationships to disclose to learners.  For speaker disclosures, please see the faculty biography.

Handouts

Speaker

Kate Truitt, PhD, MBA Related seminars and products

Dr. Kate Truitt & Associates

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Dr. Kate Truitt, a clinical psychologist, applied neuroscientist, and international bestselling author, is an expert in trauma, stress, and resilience. She is the founder of the educational platform Truitt Institute and leads her award-winning clinical team at Dr. Kate Truitt & Associates. As a member of the Goldie Hawn Foundation’s MindUP Scientific Advisory Committee and a co-developer of the Havening Techniques®, as well as an expert contributor to the Kevin Love Fund and Girl Scouts of America, Dr. Truitt passionately advocates for mental health literacy and personal empowerment globally. Her voice in the mental health arena extends to her role as a speaker and media consultant, including being featured in BBC and Today, and speaking at prestigious platforms like the United Nations and the United States Department of Defense. Dr. Truitt founded and is the chairman of the board for the Amy Research Foundation, a 501c3 organization focused on advancing research into the innovative treatment realm of neuroscience-based mental health and wellness interventions. As the author of her memoir, #1 top new release Keep Breathing: A Psychologist’s Intimate Journey Through Loss, Trauma, and Rediscovering Life and the international bestseller Healing in Your Hands: Self-Havening Exercises to Harness Neuroplasticity, Heal Traumatic Stress, and Build Resilience, she is dedicated to advancing the treatment of traumatic stress while making significant strides in destigmatizing mental health and fostering resilience worldwide.

 

Speaker Disclosures:
Financial: Dr. Kate Truitt is the President and Founder of Dr. Kate Truitt & Associates; Chief Executive Officer of the Trauma Counseling Center of Los Angeles; Executive Director and Founder of the Amy Research Foundation; and Executive Director of the Truitt Institute. Dr. Truitt receives royalties as a published author and compensation as a presenter. She serves as a scientific advisor and board member for Anti-AgingGames.com and the Goldie Hawn Foundation. She also receives speaking honoraria and recording royalties from Psychotherapy Networker and PESI, Inc. All relevant financial relationships with ineligible organizations have been mitigated.
Non-financial: Dr. Kate Truitt is a member of the American Psychological Association, the Association for Psychological Science, the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies, the American Cognitive Training Association, and the American College of Healthcare Executives.

Additional Info

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Objectives

1. Analyze the role of stress-induced structural plasticity in shaping self-perception and inner dialogue after trauma.   
2. Explore how self-criticism and shame emerge as adaptive responses to stress and trauma.
3. Appraise the role that neuroscience-informed strategies such as cognitive re-framing and psychosensory interventions play in fostering self-compassion.
4. Apply neuroplasticity principles to help clients reframe maladaptive thought patterns and develop more adaptive inner narratives.
5. Develop practical strategies for guiding clients in creating sustainable shifts in how they perceive themselves and engage with their world.

Outline

Trauma and the Brain: Why Survival Comes Before Self-Love 

• The Neurobiological Consequences of Trauma-Based Learning  
• Why Shame and Self-Criticism as Adaptive Responses  
• How Trauma Impacts the Development of Identity and Self-Worth 

The Neuroscience of Shame and Self-Criticism 

• How Shame Becomes a Survival Strategy  
• The impact of repeated stress on strengthening negative self-talk  
• Why survival-driven neural pathways make self-kindness feel foreign or unsafe. 
• Reframing shame as an adaptive response rather than an inherent flaw. 

Leveraging Neuroplasticity to Reshape Self-Perception 

• An Introduction to Neuroplasticity and the Brain’s Capacity for Change  
• The Role of Sensory and Cognitive Engagement for Healing Traumatic Stress and Building Interoception 
• Self-Compassion as a Learned Skill: Rewiring the Brain for Safety and Care 
• Strategies for shifting from automatic self-judgment to self-compassion. 
• Mental Rehearsal, practice, and how small, consistent shifts create sustainable neurobiological rewiring. 

Practical Strategies for Clinical Integration 

• Identifying Trauma-Driven Self-Talk – Recognizing survival-based language and physiological responses in clients. 
• Integrating Self-Compassion Practices into Trauma Work 
• Using brain-based tools to bridge the gap between emotional and cognitive processing. 
• Limitations of the research and potential risks  

Target Audience

• Counsellors
• Marriage and Family Therapists
• Social Workers
• Physicians 
• Psychologists
• Addiction Counsellors