Trauma-Informed Training for Staff, Teams & Leaders
Practical training that helps managers communicate clearly, motivate people, set expectations, and strengthen accountability and productivity through a trauma-informed lens. Leaders explore how stress, power, and everyday management practices affect engagement and performance. We also offer frontline care and team communication workshops for community, healthcare, and social service organizations. Sessions are interactive and grounded in real work.
Trauma-Informed Care & Team Communication Workshops
Practical, participatory training for frontline staff, direct-support professionals, supervisors, and teams in disability services, supportive living, healthcare, and community organizations.
Trauma-Informed Care in Everyday Practice
Explore how trauma and lived experience can shape interactions with residents and service users. Practise approaches that support safety, dignity, choice, empowerment, and consistency in everyday care and support.
Trauma-Informed Team Communication
Strengthen communication across your care or service team. Explore different communication styles, recognize how stress affects conversations, and practise responses that reduce misunderstandings while supporting respect, clarity, and collaboration.
Choose one workshop or book both
Book either workshop individually or combine both as a two-workshop package. Paired workshops connect trauma-informed care with the team communication that helps sustain it. Sessions can be scheduled together or on separate dates.
Learning by doing: Both workshops include tailored scenarios, guided reflection, practical exercises, and optional opportunities to share your work and receive facilitator feedback. Practical take-away resources support application at work.
Two-workshop package investment: Nonprofit organizations — $2,000 virtual or $2,500 in person. Regular rate — $2,500 virtual or $3,000 in person. All prices are in Canadian dollars and subject to HST. In-person travel and accommodation costs, where applicable, are additional and confirmed in the proposal. Content, session length, and scheduling are agreed with your organization. Contact us for individual workshop pricing.
Discuss a standalone workshop or two-workshop package →
Workshops for leaders and teams
Leading Social Work Teams
For managers and supervisors navigating complex cases, competing demands, and team performance. Practise communicating expectations, giving useful feedback, addressing performance concerns, and encouraging initiative while supporting sound professional judgment.
Upcoming public workshop: Sharlene Gumbs will present “Leading Social Work Teams: Balancing Psychological Safety and Accountability” through OASW in collaboration with Wilfrid Laurier University on February 12, 2027, from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. ET. View details and registration.
Reflective Supervision in Practice
Build supervision conversations that strengthen critical thinking, accountability, and staff wellbeing. Participants practise questions and structures they can use with their teams.
Trauma-Informed Change Management
Help teams stay engaged and productive through uncertainty and transition. Learn practical ways to explain change, invite input, clarify roles and priorities, respond to concerns, and support follow-through.
Communication, Boundaries & Professional Sustainability
Strengthen everyday communication and boundaries in high-demand settings, with practical approaches that support effective and sustainable work.
How we work
Choose a focused workshop or a series with opportunities to apply the learning between sessions. Training can be delivered virtually or in person and adapted to your team, setting, and goals. We can also discuss training alongside reflective supervision or broader consulting support. The Reflective Leadership Series includes four 2-hour sessions for groups of fewer than 25 participants: $7,000 virtual or $8,000 for in-person/hybrid delivery, plus HST. The mix of virtual and on-site sessions is agreed in the proposal based on location and scheduling. Applicable travel and accommodation costs are additional and confirmed in the proposal. See Our Services for the full series details.
Sharlene Gumbs, MSW, RSW, is True Ally’s Founder and Principal. She brings experience in social work practice, leadership, facilitation, and organizational support across mental health, healthcare, and community services.
Let’s plan training for your team
Tell us who the training is for, the challenge your team is facing, and your preferred timing. Email hello@trueally.ca to discuss a tailored session and request a proposal.