Talks & Workshops

Talks and Workshops on Trauma and Healing

Drawing on over forty years as a registered social worker and trauma art therapist, Barb Dorrington offers workshops and presentations that guide individuals and communities toward understanding, processing, and healing from trauma. Her sessions blend clinical expertise with warmth, creativity, and lived experience.

What Barb Offers

Workshops & Talks

mail Book a Workshop
Community Talk

Murder and Macrame

A warm and engaging presentation exploring what we now know about trauma and shock, how they live in the body, and how healing begins not with the story but with the nervous system. Barb guides audiences through simple grounding exercises and explains why unresolved cases leave communities in a state of prolonged shock, and what we can do about it. Ideal for community groups, wellness events, and public libraries.

Trauma & shock Nervous system DBR therapy Community healing
mail Book This Talk
Book Launch & Q&A

The Trauma Monster: A Community Conversation

location_on Palace Theatre, London, Ontario

The talk that launched the book. Barb shares the story behind The Trauma Monster — including her personal connection to Scott Leishman, the wave of unsolved murders in London between 1959 and 1983, and why she spent four years interviewing over 60 people who had never spoken before. Followed by a candid Q&A exploring trauma, community silence, and the healing power of being seen and heard.

Cold cases Community trauma Validation Healing journey
mail Book This Talk
Seniors Community Talk

Understanding the Trauma Monster

Developed for senior audiences, this presentation opens with a simple but powerful question: have you ever had a moment when something happened so suddenly that time seemed to stop? Barb uses accessible language and personal storytelling to explain how the Trauma Monster is born in moments of shock, how it affects families and entire communities, and how understanding it is the first step toward healing.

Moment of shock Nervous system Cold cases Healing
mail Book This Talk
The Approach

Healing Starts With the Right Question

Barb's philosophy is rooted in a simple but profound shift: instead of asking what is wrong with a person, she asks what happened to them. This trauma-informed lens shapes every workshop and presentation she delivers.

Her Breathe, Rock, Draw program, endorsed by the National Institute of Trauma and Loss for two decades, integrates controlled breathing, physical movement, and creative expression into an accessible, evidence-based healing framework.

"Healing begins by asking what happened to a person, not what is wrong with them."

— Barbara J. Dorrington

40+ Years Experience
20+ Years, Breathe Rock Draw
self_improvement

Book Barb for Your Next Event.

Whether you are planning a community event, staff training, library talk, or conference session, Barb brings her unique blend of clinical insight and storytelling to every room. Get in touch to discuss availability and topics.

mail Get In Touch
shopping_cart