Abandonment, Neglect and Developmental Trauma

Credit

Program Information

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.

Speaker

Kaytee Gillis, LCSW Related seminars and products

---

Kaytlyn “Kaytee” Gillis, LCSW, is a licensed clinical social worker and psychotherapist, specializing in work with survivors of family of origin trauma, including childhood abuse, family dysfunction, rejection and abandonment.

She is the author of several books on healing from domestic abuse and family trauma including Healing from Parental Abandonment and Neglect: Move Beyond Insecure Attachment to Build Safety, Connection, and Trust Yourself and Others (New Harbinger, 2025). Kaytee has a popular column on Psychology Today and is a frequent contributor to Psychotherapy Networker whose work has been featured in TIME magazine, BBC World News, Women’s Health Magazine, The Los Angeles Times, and other media outlets.

In addition to her practice and writing, she’s also a PhD candidate at Michigan State University, focusing on intimate partner violence research and provides training nationwide on recognizing patterns of domestic violence and treating family trauma. Find out more about Kaytee at her website: www.kaytlyngillislcsw.com.

Speaker Disclosures:
Financial: Kaytlyn Gillis maintains a private practice and has an employment relationship with Michigan State University. She receives royalties as a published author. Kaytlyn Gillis receives a speaking honorarium from Psychotherapy Networker and PESI, Inc. She has no relevant financial relationships with ineligible organizations.
Non-financial: Kaytlyn Gillis has no relevant non-financial relationships.

 

 

Additional Info

Program Information

For live CE credit, you must watch the live webcast in its entirety at its scheduled time and complete the CE quiz and evaluation within one week. You will have access for 90 days after the program for review.

Please note: There will be a 70-minute lunch and two 15-minute breaks; one in the morning and one in the afternoon. Lunch and break times will be announced by the speaker and at their discretion. A more detailed schedule is available upon request.

Visit our FAQ page at https://www.pesicanada.ca/faq or contact us at https://www.pesicanada.ca/contact-us.

Objectives

1. Examine the impact of abandonment and parental emotional neglect on the development of trauma and later adult functioning.
2. Identify the clinical relevance of childhood trauma’s impact on attachment styles and adult relationships.
3. Evaluate the impact of parental abandonment on the development of shame and self-blame in clients.
4. Utilize clinical strategies to reduce shame and avoidance by reframing client behaviors as trauma adaptations rather than pathology.
5. Choose validation, journaling, and modeling interventions with clients with histories of abandonment or neglect to establish safety, work with critical inner dialogues, and build self-compassion.
6. Use a phase-based treatment approach with adult clients in treatment for childhood trauma.

Outline

Abandonment, Attachment and Developmental Trauma 101

• Overview
• Influences in fields of trauma
• What is abandonment trauma?
• Developmental trauma & attachment-related trauma

Symptoms, Effects and Comorbidities

• Intersectionality
• Developmental trauma’s impact on the developing brain and personality
• Symptoms & effects of abandonment trauma
• Comorbidities and somatic symptoms
• Trauma’s effect on health

Impacts on Attachment on Relationships, Parenting and More

• Attachment theory and case examples
• Attachment disruptions and emotional regulation
• Impacts of abandonment trauma on relationships
• Educational impacts
• Parenting impacts
• Psychoeducation to help clients understand their younger selves

Assessment and Trauma Treatment Using a 3 Phase Approach

• Common survival responses: behaviors/outcomes/personality traits
• Trauma-informed assessment principles
• Assess PTSD & C-PTSD (symptoms, impairment, duration)
• Treatment planning: goals, objectives, and progress markers
• When to refer out
• 3 Phase trauma treatment support model:
  • Phase 1: Stabilization & safety (rapport, psychoeducation, grounding)
  • Phase 2: processing (methods, managing dissociation, journaling)
  • Phase 3: integration & reconnection
• Practice activity: grounding/self-regulation
• Risk assessment & differential diagnosis
• Research, risks and limitations

Negative Internal Dialogues, Shame and Emotional Flooding: Journaling, Guided Imagery and Reframing Techniques and Interventions

• Modeling safe adult presence to help attachment trauma
• Monitor and reframe negative internal dialogue
• Journaling, grounding, guided imagery, art
• Support with symptom and relational setbacks
• Clinical strategies for managing shame and emotional flooding
• Research, risks and limitations

Target Audience

• Counselors
• Marriage & Family Therapists
• Social Workers
• Psychologists
• Case Managers
• Addiction Counselors
• Registered Psychotherapists
• Physicians
• Nurse Practitioners
• Other Mental Health Professionals