Holding Space for Trauma
This 60-minute training equips participants with tools to recognize and navigate the impact of past trauma in mediation sessions. Participants will learn to identify trauma responses in both adults and children, understand how trauma influences the mediation process, and apply strategies to create a supportive environment that fosters effective communication and resolution.
- 5.0/5.0
- 17 Enrolled
- English
$125.00
This course includes
- Duration 1.0 hr
- Language English
- Next Start Date Not Available
Course Description
Trauma often shapes how people show up in mediation, whether or not it’s openly discussed. For mediators, the ability to recognize trauma responses and respond with care can make a critical difference in helping parties feel safe, seen, and ready to move forward. This course offers a practical introduction to holding space for trauma in mediation settings, blending key definitions, case examples, and real-world tools.Participants will reflect on implicit bias and how it can influence our perceptions of trauma. The course will explore the physical, emotional, and psychosocial manifestations of trauma, and how these intersect with conflict resolution. Through case-based learning, participants will examine both the barriers trauma can create in mediation and the coping strategies or strengths clients may develop as a result of their experiences.
Special focus is given to children and their unique trauma responses, highlighting the need for tailored approaches when working with youth in mediation. The session concludes with ten concrete ways mediators can apply trauma-informed practices in their work, empowering them to create a space that fosters open dialogue, builds trust, and supports meaningful resolution.
About Instructor
Dr. Gagnon is a board-certified pediatrician who has worked for the past 15 years to help families navigate grief, trauma, and transition. She is an expert in facilitating necessary but hard conversations, such as assisting co-parents in navigating end of life issues, making major medical decisions, and/or navigating caregiving disputes for their children. Dr. Gagnon received her medical degree from Georgetown University School of Medicine. She is a qualified neutral family mediator by Rule 114 in the state of Minnesota. Dr. Gagnon is the founder of BRIDGE Health Consulting, which works to optimize the wellbeing of children and co-parents as they navigate separation/divorce (https://www.bridgehealthconsulting.com/). Dr. Gagnon is also the founder of BRIDGE To Home, which provides in-home services for children and adults with disabilities and mental health needs (https://www.bridgetohomeservices.org/). Dr. Gagnon also serves as the current Medical Director for PROOF Alliance and the Past Chief of Staff for Gillette Children's. Dr. Gagnon was selected as a member of the board for the American Academy of Pediatrics (Minnesota Chapter). In Minnesota, she was selected as one of the “Top Doctors Rising Star" in 2019, 2020, 2021, and 2022. Dr. Gagnon was recognized by Twin Cities Business Magazine as a 2020 Notable Heroes in Health Care. She is a frequently featured medical expert on local affiliates of several media networks, such as ABC, CBS, NBC, FOX, and Public Radio.
- Email:maddyg@bridgecl.org
- Phone:715 410 0638
- Web:www.bridgehealthconsulting.com
Our Student Reviews
5.0
Average Total Rating
Tobin Lay
May 20th 2025 at 3:37pmReview on: Holding Space for Trauma
Many of our graduates have asked about how to address trauma in the mediation room. If the purpose of mediation is to allow the parties to try and find resolution on all or multiple fronts then it makes sense to address any trauma effects that enter the room. But navigating trauma can be tricky, so how do you do that? This is precisely what Dr. Madeleine Gagnon will help you figure out in this course. She has dealt with trauma in her medical practice for years and has learned how to create space for the trauma and how to address it properly. As a mediator herself, Dr. Gagnon will apply these skills directly to the practice of mediation. I am excited to learn from Dr. Gagnon's experiences and really hope you'll join me!
