THE SILENT EPIDEMIC:
Medical Trauma Awareness, Support & Prevention
A Free Three-Part Live Workshop Series
January 15, 22, & 29 at 12:00 CST
Live on Riverside · VIP Access Available
Why this workshop matters
Medical trauma is far more common than most people realize—and most people don’t even have language for what they’ve experienced. Patients, families, and clinicians are often left to navigate the emotional and physical aftermath alone.
This workshop brings together a social worker, nurse, and speech pathologist to help change the culture of care.
Across three sessions, you’ll learn what medical trauma is, how to support yourself and others, and how we can reduce harm within healthcare systems.
What You Will Learn
Workshop 1 — Understanding Medical Trauma
What medical trauma really is
How common it is (and why most people haven’t heard of it)
The emotional and physical symptoms of trauma
What PICS (Post-Intensive Care Syndrome) is and how it affects survivors
Common medical experiences that can create trauma
Stress, trauma, and PTSD through a clinical lens
Workshop 2 — Supporting Yourself & Your Loved Ones
How to care for yourself before, during, and after medical encounters
How to support children and adults through medical stress
Trauma-informed communication skills
How to support loved ones during and after hospitalization
When and how to seek mental health support
Trusted resources, books, and provider directories
Workshop 3 — Prevention & Systems Change
The cognitive science behind behavior change
How healthcare systems increase the risk of trauma
Low-cost interventions that reduce distress (ICU diaries, explanations, informed consent done well)
Sensory supports (Butterfly Pig toys & app)
Encouraging a “pause” and healing huddles after difficult events
Strategies to advocate for safer, more compassionate care
Who This Workshop Is For
his workshop is designed primarily for clinicians who want to deepen their understanding of medical trauma and integrate trauma-informed practices into their care.
It’s ideal for:
Nurses, SLPs, OTs, PTs, MDs, PAs, NPs
Mental health providers supporting medically complex patients
Allied health professionals working in hospitals, clinics, and home health
Rehab and ICU teams
Behavioral health and crisis response teams
Students and trainees in health and allied health programs
Patient experience, care coordination, and social work teams
Child life specialists and pediatric providers
We also welcome caregivers, parents, and patient advocates who want to better understand medical trauma and how to support healing—your insights are an essential part of this conversation.
Meet Your Facilitators
Mary Jenner, RN
Pediatric Nurse & Trauma-Informed Care Advocate
Co-Founder, The Butterfly Pig
Mary is a pediatric nurse and trauma-informed care advocate with deep experience supporting children and families through stressful and often overwhelming medical experiences. With years of bedside nursing across a range of pediatric settings, Mary brings a compassionate, patient-centered perspective to understanding how medical trauma develops and how small, intentional shifts in care can reduce fear and improve emotional safety.
As founder of The Butterfly Pig, Mary helps families and clinicians use play, sensory tools, coping strategies, and child-centered communication to soften difficult procedures and create a more supportive environment for young patients. Her work blends practical bedside wisdom, developmental insight, and trauma-informed practices to empower both clinicians and caregivers to make medical care feel safer and more connected.
Mary is dedicated to reshaping the culture of medical care by elevating empathy, communication, and emotional attunement as essential components of healing.
Sarah Stasica, LMSW
Social Worker & Medical Trauma Specialist
Founder of Medical Trauma Support
Certified Mental Health Peer Specialist (MHPS) • Trauma-Informed Yoga Teacher (RYT-200)
Sarah is a medical trauma survivor, peer specialist, and educator who supports individuals and families navigating the emotional and nervous-system impact of medical experiences. Through Medical Trauma Support, she provides peer-based education, community support, and trauma-informed resources, helping people understand how their bodies respond to medical stress and how to rebuild safety and connection after medically traumatic events.
As a Certified Mental Health Peer Specialist and trauma-informed yoga teacher, Sarah integrates somatic awareness, grounding practices, and nervous-system education to create accessible, non-clinical learning spaces. She is also an LMSW practicing under supervision and brings a trauma-informed, patient-centered perspective rooted in both lived experience and clinical training.
Her work combines peer support, nervous-system education, somatic tools, and trauma-informed advocacy to empower patients, caregivers, and clinicians to recognize and respond to medical trauma with compassion and clarity.
Vanessa Abraham, MA, CCC-SLP
Speech-Language Pathologist, Author & PICS Survivor
Founder, A Neu Healing
Vanessa is a speech-language pathologist, author, and survivor of Post-Intensive Care Syndrome (PICS) whose lived experience profoundly shapes her work. After spending time as a patient in the ICU and temporarily losing her ability to speak, Vanessa developed a deep, firsthand understanding of the emotional, cognitive, and communication challenges that patients face during and after medically traumatic events.
Through her platform, A Neu Healing, Vanessa blends clinical expertise with lived wisdom to support children, adults, and families navigating recovery, communication changes, and nervous system dysregulation after medical trauma. Her work helps clinicians and caregivers recognize how trauma and PICS impact communication, participation in care, and the ability to advocate for oneself during vulnerable moments.
As an author, Vanessa shares her experience to empower others and to highlight the urgent need for trauma-informed, patient-centered care. She brings a compassionate, brain-based, and experience-informed lens to every conversation, making her guidance both clinically grounded and deeply human.
Registration Options
Attend Live — Free
Access all three live sessions on Riverside
Great if you’re attending in real time and don’t need recordings or extra content
VIP Access — Early Bird $149 (until Jan 15)
$300 after Workshop #1
Includes everything in the live access, plus:
3 months of access to all workshop recordings
A private space inside the Befriend Your Body Community
Bonus material and curated resources
A space to ask follow-up questions
How It Works
Register using the buttons above
You’ll receive a confirmation email
The livestream link will be emailed before each session
VIPs will get access to a peer community within Mighty Networks with access to additional resources from each facilitator
All sessions are recorded and available for replay within the VIP peer community.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to attend live?
No. VIP attendees will receive access to all replays.
How long do I keep the workshop recordings?
VIPs receive 3 months of access inside the community.
Do I need a clinical background?
No. Anyone is welcome.
Will there be slides or handouts?
VIPs will receive handouts and other information inside the portal.
Can I upgrade to VIP later?
Yes—pricing increases to $300 after Workshop #1.
Join Us!
Join us for this powerful and practical workshop series.
Learn how to understand medical trauma, support healing, and reduce harm—together.
Registration Options
Attend Live — Free
Access all three live sessions on Riverside
Great if you’re attending in real time and don’t need recordings or extra content
VIP Access — Early Bird $149 (until Jan 15)
$300 after Workshop #1
Includes everything in the live access, plus:
3 months of access to all workshop recordings
A private space inside the Befriend Your Body Community
Bonus material and curated resources
A space to ask follow-up questions