Trauma-Informed Co-Occurring Treatment

registration deadline 5/8/2026

Trainer:

Melissa Hill, M.S., LCMHC, LADC, is a dually licensed clinician with over 13 years of experience in the field of mental health and addictions counseling. She specializes in treating adolescents and adults with co-occurring mental health and substance use challenges and brings a strong focus on community mental health and systems-involved care.

In her role with Easterseals, Melissa serves as a consultant and trainer supporting staff who work with at-risk and foster youth, families formed through adoption or guardianship, and those navigating involvement with the Department for Children and Families (DCF). Her work emphasizes trauma-informed and relationship-centered approaches that foster resilience and stability within youth and family systems.

In addition to her consulting and training work, Melissa maintains a private practice in Burlington, Vermont, where she provides individual therapy. She is certified in EMDR therapy and integrates a blend of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Narrative Therapy, Psychodynamic Therapy, Motivational Interviewing, Systemic Therapy, and Expressive Art to support holistic healing and long-term recovery.

Description:

Working with individuals who experience both mental health and substance use challenges
requires an understanding of the interplay between trauma, motivation, and regulation. A
trauma-informed approach to the treatment of co-occurring disorders supports providers in
addressing the complex interactions between trauma, mental health, and substance use
symptoms, while fostering safety, empowerment, and collaboration in the therapeutic
relationship.

Agenda:

Morning: 9:00am – 12:00pm EST
Section 1: Understanding the Complexity of Co-Occurring Disorders (9:00 – 10:30am)
● Welcome, introductions, and overview of the day
● Defining co-occurring disorders and understanding prevalence and impact
● Exploring trauma, diagnostic overlap, shared neurobiology, and developmental effects
● Applying trauma-informed principles: Safety, Trustworthiness, Choice, Collaboration,
Empowerment
● Cultural humility and intersectionality in trauma and addiction

Break: 10:30am – 10:45am
Section 2: Increasing Motivation and Internal Awareness (10:45am – 12:00pm)
● Trauma’s impact on motivation, ambivalence, and readiness for change
● Overview of Motivational Interviewing (Engaging, Focusing, Evoking, Planning) through
a trauma-informed lens
● Deepening insight and commitment through reflective listening and change talk

● Value exploration

Lunch: 12:00pm – 1:00pm
Afternoon: 1:00pm – 4:30pm EST
Section 3: Somatic and Experiential Regulation Techniques for Co-Occurring Disorders
(1:00 – 2:30pm)
● Understanding how trauma and co-occurring disorders affect the nervous system
● “Regulation before reflection”: stabilizing the body before processing emotion
● Recognizing body cues and interoception as early signs of dysregulation
● Core somatic techniques:
● Integrating somatic regulation with motivational and values-based approaches

Break: 2:30pm – 2:45pm
Section 4: Our Own Experience — Vicarious Trauma, Resilience, and Self-Care (2:45 –
4:30pm)
● Understanding vicarious trauma: mirror neurons, empathy fatigue, and moral distress
● Differentiating burnout, compassion fatigue, and vicarious trauma
● Exploring vicarious resilience and the reciprocal nature of healing
● Identifying strengths, meaning, and purpose
● Developing a personal self-care plan

Learning Objectives:

This full-day training will provide participants with:
● Strategies to integrate trauma-informed principles into co-occurring treatment
● An understanding of how trauma affects motivation, readiness for change, and
regulation
● Techniques to support body-based stabilization and values-aligned behavioral change
● Opportunities to practice somatic and experiential regulation techniques
● Exploration of vicarious trauma, resilience, and clinician self-care
● Case examples, experiential activities, and reflective discussions to promote practical
application