The Adaptive Brain: Dissociation, Neurobiology, and Skills for Healing Complex Trauma

Training Title: The Adaptive Brain: Dissociation, Neurobiology, and Skills for Healing Complex Trauma
Presenter: Dr. Sarah Chipps, PsyD

Summary:
This training will explore how the brain and nervous system adapt in response to complex trauma. This training will examine dissociation as a survival-based response through a neurobiological lens, helping clinicians better understand how trauma shapes cognition, emotion, and behavior. Participants will learn to apply trauma-informed skills-based interventions that support regulation and healing in clients with complex trauma histories. Emphasis will be placed on practical strategies clinicians can immediately integrate into their clinical work.

Learning Objectives:

1. Describe neurobiological foundations of complex trauma and dissociation, including how the brain and nervous system adapt to chronic threat.
2. Apply trauma-informed, regulation-focused skills to support safety, grounding, and stabilization in clinical practice.
3. Integrate neurobiologically informed interventions to promote healing and increased client awareness and regulation.

About the Speaker:

Sarah Chipps, PsyD is a licensed psychologist (NY 20206, CA 33600, CO 4865) and cofounder of Well Behavioral Health. She maintains a private practice and has extensive experience developing and leading mental health programs for individuals coping with complex trauma, emotion regulation challenges, and eating disorders.

Dr. Chipps integrates multiple evidence-based and experiential approaches in her work, drawing from Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), Somatic Experiencing (SE), Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT), Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), the Comprehensive Resource Model (CRM), and clinical hypnosis. Her practice emphasizes compassion, collaboration, and the cultivation of safety and empowerment in the healing process.