Traumatic Stress Studies Certificate Program

Join the global movement transforming trauma care.

The Trauma Research Foundation’s Traumatic Stress Studies Certificate Program is the most comprehensive training available for those seeking to understand, treat, and heal trauma. Led by world-renowned experts including Dr. Bessel van der Kolk, this 7-month online course equips clinicians, educators, and healers with cutting-edge tools, research, and community to make a lasting impact.

The next training will begin on August 25, 2025.
  • 7 Months of online training
  • Monthly Q&A sessions
  • Work with leading trauma experts​
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The Most Comprehensive Trauma Training Available Today

Rooted in decades of research and clinical practice, the Traumatic Stress Studies Certificate Program is a 7-month, in-depth online training designed to equip you with the knowledge and tools to understand trauma in all its complexity—and treat it with confidence and care. Developed by Dr. Bessel van der Kolk, author of The Body Keeps the Score, this program brings together the world’s leading voices in trauma research and therapy to guide your learning, including Dr. Stephen Porges, Dr. Richard Schwartz, and many others.

Through weekly sessions, live monthly Q&As, and access to a vibrant online community, you’ll explore the latest in neurobiology, attachment theory, somatic therapies, Internal Family Systems (IFS), EMDR, trauma-informed yoga, and more. Unlike programs that focus on a single modality, this course offers a holistic, multi-dimensional understanding of trauma—across developmental stages, cultures, and treatment settings.

Whether you’re a licensed clinician, educator, or simply dedicated to trauma healing, this certificate program provides you with not just a credential, but a deep transformation in how you see and support others. You’ll walk away with a clear, actionable framework for helping clients heal—and the confidence that comes from learning alongside a global network of trauma-informed professionals.

Learn from today's leading experts in
Neurobiology of PTSD and Developmental Trauma
Sensorimotor Treatment and Sensory Motor Arousal Regulation Treatment (SMART)
Treatment Foundations and Assessments
Attachment, Regulation and Competency (ARC) and Supporting Regulation in Childhood
Adult Treatment and Component-Based Psychotherapy (CBP)
Dissociation and Internal Family Systems (IFS)
Trauma Processing and EMDR
Attachment Theory and Relationships
Sand Tray Therapy, Play and Activity, Theater and Trauma-Drama, and Trauma Sensitive Yoga
Trauma Focused Neurofeedback
Vicarious Trauma and Self-Care
Special Issues including Sexual Exploitation, Community Trauma, and Sexual Behavior Problems
Bessel 2021 TRF smile

Bessel Van Der Kolk

MD
LiciaEsalen2020

Licia Sky

richard_schwartz

Richard Schwartz

PhD
stephen_porges

Stephen Porges

PhD
Margaret.Blaustein_9.2017-Headshot-231x300

Margaret Blaustein

PhD
Warner

Elizabeth Warner

PsyD
View More: http://sharon.pass.us/sharonrosengarten

Deborah Korn

PsyD
Gary Bailey

Gary Bailey

MSW, ACSW
FrankPic

Frank Anderson

MD
jana-pressley-9-2017

Jana Pressley

PsyD
Ruth Lanius - need photo credit

Ruth Lanius

MD, PhD, FRCPC
smart-moves-partners-team-alex-new

Alexandra Cook

PhD
Michael Niconchuk - headshot

Michael Niconchuk

MSc
Matthew Sanford

Matthew Sanford

Ainat Rogel

Ainat Rogel

PhD, MSW, LCSW
Philip Wolfson, MD

Phil Wolfson

MD
Doblin23

Rick Doblin

PhD
Dafna Lender

Dafna Lender

LCSW
Dawn Stern

Dawn Stern

Diana Martinez

Diana Martinez

MD, MSc, PhD, BNC
Janina Fisher

Janina Fisher

PhD
Jon Ebert,PsyD Psychiatry

Jon Ebert

PsyD
Lorraine Freedle

Lorraine Freedle

PhD, LCSW, ABPdN, ABSNP, CST-T
Michele Henderson

Michele Henderson

LICSW
Pat Ogden

Pat Ogden

PhD
Patricia Wilcox

Patricia Wilcox

LCSW
Stephan Wolfert

Stephan Wolfert

LCSW, MSW, MFA
Steven Gross

Steve Gross

MSW
6-26-2017 -Photos of Tarah Kuhn, PhD, Clinical Psychologist and Asst. Professor. (Vanderbilt University / Steve Green}

Tarah Kuhn

PhD
Week 1
Understanding Trauma: Foundations
with Bessel van der Kolk, MD
Week 2
The Complexity of Adaptation to Trauma
with Jana Pressley, PsyD
Week 3
The Nature of Trauma: Developmental Neurobiology, Neuroimaging Research and Effective Intervention
with Bessel van der Kolk, MD
Week 4
Neurobiology of Trauma Treatment: EMDR and New Research Directions
with Bessel van der Kolk, MD
Week 5
Adult Attachment Relationships
with Jana Pressley, PsyD
Week 6
The Roles Intersectionality & Cultural Humility Play When Working with Diverse Client Populations
with Jana Pressley, PsyD
Week 7
Safety as the Treatment: Reframing Trauma, Integrity, and Care in Contexts of Chronic Violence
with Michael Niconchuk, MSc
Week 8
Trauma Through the Lens of Polyvagal Theory
with Stephen Porges, PhD
Week 9
Trauma Assessment of Children and Adults
with Alexandra Cook, PhD
Week 10
Childhood Trauma: Impact and Long-Term Consequences
with Bessel van der Kolk, MD
Week 11
The Scope of Trauma Treatment: From Acute Interventions to Restoration of Self-Experience
with Bessel van der Kolk, MD
Week 12
Introduction to ARC: The Attachment, Regulation, and Competency Model
with Margaret Blaustein, PhD
Week 13
ARC & Supporting Regulation in Childhood
with Margaret Blaustein, PhD
Week 14
We Do Not Work Alone: Implementing and Sustaining Trauma-informed Systems
with Patricia Wilcox, LCSW
Week 15
SMART: Sensory Motor Arousal Regulation Treatment
with Elizabeth Warner, EdM, PsyD, and Alexandra Cook, PhD
Week 16
Sensorimotor Psychotherapy: Theory and Practice
with Pat Ogden, PhD
Week 17
Trauma, PTSD and the Mind-Body Relationship
with Matthew Sanford
Week 18
Embodied Awareness
with Licia Sky, BFA
Week 19
Use of Play and Activity to Support Trauma-informed Treatment
with Steve Gross, MSW
Week 20
Trauma Processing with Children
with Michele Henderson, LICSW
Week 21
Making Connections: The Neuropsychology of Sandplay Therapy in the Treatment of Trauma
with Lorraine Freedle, PhD, LCSW, ABPdN, ABSNP, CST-T
Week 22
The Importance of Play in the Treatment of Trauma
with Dafna Lender, LCSW
Week 23
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) Therapy: A Model for Accelerated Change
with Deborah Korn, PsyD
Week 24
Theater as Embodied Therapy
with Stephan Wolfert, LCSW, MSW, MFA, and Dawn Stern
Week 25
Working with Problematic Sexual Behavior in Children & Youth
with Jon Ebert, PsyD, and Tarah Kuhn, PhD
Week 26
Trauma & Altered States of Consciousness
with Ruth Lanius, PhD, MD, FRCPC
Week 27
Internal Family Systems
with Richard Schwartz, PhD
Week 28
The Use of Internal Family Systems Model in Trauma Treatment
with Frank Anderson, MD
Week 29
Implementing Trauma Informed Therapies in Community
with Janina Fisher, PhD
Week 30
Trauma-informed, Spiritually aware: Considering spirituality in holistic self and client care
with Jana Pressley, PsyD
Week 31
Caring for the Caregiver: Vicarious Trauma
with Jana Pressley, PsyD
Week 32
Alternative Non-pharmaceutical Treatment Techniques for Development Trauma: Neurofeedback and Biofeedback
with Ainat Rogel, PhD, MSW, LCSW, and Diana Martinez, MD, MSc, PhD, BNC
Week 33
The Future of Trauma Interventions
with Bessel van der Kolk, MD, Rick Doblin PhD, Phil Wolfson, MD, and Michael Mithoefer, MD
Download learning objectives

How does the Traumatic Stress Studies Certificate Program work?

This fully online program can be taken from anywhere. There are multiple components to the course:

Online Lectures and Course Materials:

Each week for seven months, approximately 2.5 hours of online lectures and course materials are released into your PESI.com account for you to complete at your own pace. Some speakers will share accompanying handouts available for download on your online portal. No additional books or research are required for purchase.

Quizzes and Evaluations:

Each module is accompanied by a multiple-choice quiz, consisting of approximately 15-20 questions, and an evaluation. Completing these is necessary to receive credit for the module and obtain a CE certificate if desired. You must score at least 80% or higher on the quiz to earn credit for the module. You can retake the quiz as many times as you need to score a passing grade. You must also complete the evaluation. Upon completing at least 80% of the modules, you will receive your Certificate of Completion in Traumatic Stress Studies from the Trauma Research Foundation and PESI.

Please note that you are still required to complete the CE quizzes and obtain your CE certificate if you wish to obtain a Certificate of Completion for the course, whether or not you are seeking CE.

Monthly Live Q&A Calls:

The course also includes live Q&A calls with faculty approximately once a month. These are 90 minutes long and typically are scheduled midday on a weekday Eastern Time. These calls are recorded for you to view if you cannot attend live. Attendance is not required to earn your certificate. Live Q&A calls do not offer CE.

You can find the tentative live Q&A call schedule on our FAQ page.

Discussion Forum:

In addition, you have access to an online discussion forum on PESI.com. This is a great opportunity to network with other students in your cohort and to share insights and reflections on the course.

Read Our Full FAQs Here

I wrote The Body Keeps the Score to serve both as a guide and an invitation – an invitation to dedicate ourselves to facing the reality of trauma, to explore how best to treat it, and to commit ourselves, as a society, to using every means we have to prevent it.

Our vision at the Trauma Research Foundation is simple:

When trauma happens, everyone has somewhere to turn, someone who can help. This vision drives all of our efforts, ensuring that people worldwide receive the support they need to heal from traumatic experiences. Our Traumatic Stress Studies Certificate Program is central to this vision, a cornerstone in advancing global trauma education and healing.

Join us in this important work and become part of a global network dedicated to trauma healing.

The Traumatic Stress Studies Certificate Program offers the most comprehensive training in trauma available today. Designed for clinicians, researchers, therapists, and all those dedicated to trauma healing, our program provides an in-depth understanding of trauma’s complexities and the latest evidence-based practices for treatment.

Our intensive post-graduate level certificate program consists of 33 weeks of immersion into the fundamental issues necessary to become an expert clinician treating adults and children who suffer from traumatic stress.

In addition, students will have a monthly opportunity for a face-to-face interaction with senior faculty of this program to discuss lessons learned and clinical challenges, as well as for the formation of peer support groups.

While most advanced training programs are geared to teaching clinicians a particular treatment modality, this course provides a comprehensive overview of a variety of different treatment approaches, relevant to the particular conditions that your clients live under, their presenting problems, their developmental stages and the cultural context and resources of the traumatized individuals.

This course will provide an overview of the basic biological and psychological processes at work that form the foundation for innovative and effective treatment approaches, such as a variety of body-based techniques, IFS, ARC, SMART, sand tray therapy, neurofeedback, EMDR, psychedelic therapies, yoga, and theater, and address issues of assessment, culture, race, spirituality, families and other contextual issues.

See what recent participants say...

Kristin
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“I am really impressed with the materials in this course. What a gift that we get to benefit ourselves and our clients with this knowledge that was gained through years of study by Bessel and all the experts in this course. I am very grateful for the opportunity.”
Jill, Ph.D.
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"I feel very fortunate to be a part of the Traumatic Studies Certification Program. I do not think it's an overstatement to say that the course has revolutionized my understanding of trauma and it has changed my career trajectory. I am grateful that you opened up this program to distance learners."
Candance, LMFT, LPCC
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"This Trauma Certificate program has been comprehensive and growth-producing, and my clients have benefitted substantially from my having had this training. My thanks to Dr. van der Kolk, Dr. Blaustein, all the presenters and PESI for having made this opportunity possible. I am profoundly grateful."
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Certificate in Traumatic Stress Studies

The next training will begin on August 25, 2025.

Full Program

REGISTER TODAY FOR $999!

Your registration includes:

  • 7 Months of online training
  • Monthly Q&A sessions
  • Work with leading trauma experts
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