When Trust Breaks
Somatic and Attachment Tools for Addressing Betrayal Trauma
- Speaker:
- Chinwé Williams, PhD
- Duration:
- 1 Hour 07 Minutes
- Language:
- Presented in EN, subtitles in EN and FR, handouts in EN and FR
- Copyright:
-
May 11, 2026
- Product Code:
- POS150774
- Media Type:
- Digital Seminar
Description
Betrayal trauma is a deeply painful experience caused by a violation of trust from someone or something you depend on, such as a partner, family member, caregiver, or institution. It undermines clients’ sense of safety, self‑worth, and the capacity to trust, and often produces PTSD‑like symptoms such as anxiety, dissociation, and emotional dysregulation. What makes betrayal trauma distinct is that it fractures an essential relational bond, making healing complex and requiring relationally attuned, somatic approaches.
In this workshop, mental health professionals will learn an integrative model to help clients calm and ground the nervous system when betrayal memories or triggers arise. Combining Polyvagal Theory, Somatic Psychology, attachment‑informed relational practices, and EMDR‑informed resources for stabilization, participants will learn in‑the‑moment somatic interventions, regulation exercises, and leave with a somatic boundary script and a simple stabilization routine for clients to use within sessions and in daily life. Whether your client is navigating the impact of relational betrayal, this workshop will help them process traumatic symptoms while building resilience and connection.
Credit
Speaker
Chinwé Williams, PhD Related seminars and products
Chinwé Williams, PhD, is a licensed and board-certified EMDR therapist, and counselor educator and supervisor with close to two decades of experience supporting individuals in trauma recovery. She has a strong commitment to helping clients overcome various forms of trauma and anxiety. As a published researcher, author, consultant, and educator, Dr. Williams brings a wealth of knowledge to her work.
Her expertise lies in somatically focused approaches that teach clients how to regulate the nervous system and utilize the body for healing from various traumatic experiences. Formerly a faculty member at Georgia State University, the University of Central Florida, and Rollins College, she specializes in trauma recovery, stress/anxiety management, adolescent and women’s wellness, and equity-centered trauma-informed education.
Dr. Williams is actively involved in contributing to the field of behavioral health. She consults with several corporate and nonprofit organizations, and school districts. Dr. Williams also serves on the advisory board for Brightline, a telemedicine company providing mental health support to kids, teens, and families. In this role, she consults on the best practices to support diverse youth and families through programs, content development, and care team training.
She is the author of three books, SEEN: Healing Despair and Anxiety in Kids and Teens Through The Power of Connection, Beyond the Spiral: Why You Shouldn’t Believe Everything Anxiety Tells You, and Calm, Courageous and Connected: A Parent’s Guide to Raising Emotionally Resilient Kids. As the owner of Meaningful Solutions Counseling & Consulting, a thriving private practice in Roswell, GA, Dr. Williams applies her expertise to address a broad range of trauma issues across many client demographics.
Speaker Disclosures:
Financial: Dr. Chinwé Williams maintains a private practice, the co-owner of Southeastern Counselor Training Institute, and a presenter for Lyra Health. She receives a speaking honorarium and recording royalties from PESI, Inc. She has no relevant financial relationships with ineligible organizations.
Non-financial: Dr. Chinwé Williams is a subject matter expert with Orange.
Additional Info
Program Information
Access for Self-Study (Non-Interactive)Access never expires for this product.
Questions?
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Additional CE Info
For a more detailed outline that includes times or durations of time, if needed, please contact cepesi@pesi.com.
Objectives
- Demonstrate 3–5 body-based interventions (e.g., grounding, orienting, paced breath) to down-regulate overwhelm and interrupt distress or dissociation in the moment.
- Practice 2–3 structured Polyvagal and somatic exercises that model attunement, repair language, and micro-co-regulation skills to rebuild relational safety and trust.
- Implement EMDR-informed bilateral stimulation techniques and develop a short, repeatable stabilization plan to replace reactive shutdown or hyperarousal with intentional responses.
Outline
Welcome & Orientation
Nervous System Regulation & Grounding Skills
- Short psychoeducation on Polyvagal Theory and autonomic nervous system states.
- Practice 2 grounding interventions: anchor, orienting, paced breath, waves of regulation.
- Reflection: noticing shifts in body state.
Relational Safety & Co‑Regulation Practices
- Review how betrayal trauma is experienced as a deep violation of trust
- Psycho-ed on interpersonal neurobiology and how co‑regulation supports rebuilding trust.
- Demonstrate 2–3 structured somatic/attachment exercises: attunement, repair language, micro‑co‑regulation.
EMDR‑Informed Resourcing & Agency
- Guided resource installation with bilateral stimulation.
- Demo a short stabilization routine clients can repeat daily.
- Demo a powerful somatic boundary exercise with script for agency and choice.
Integration & Closing
- Reflection on key takeaways and personal applications.
- Reminders on ethics around clinician self-care
- Limitations of the research and potential risks
- Share resource list for continued practice.
Target Audience
- Counselors
- Social Workers
- Marriage & Family Therapists
- Psychologists
- Psychiatrists
- Psychotherapists
- Other Mental Health Professionals
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