Trauma, Stress Management and Resilience

This training is part of the Full Time Course in Peace and Conflict Work. However, it can also be booked separately or as package with the training on Conflict Sensitivity and the training on Power, Identity and Privilege (with a 10% discount on the combined block of the three trainings).

Who can register for this training?

The 4-day training is offered to practitioners of peace and conflict work, humanitarian or development cooperation, or those who intend to work in these fields.

Depending on methods and topic of the training, we limit the number of available spaces to a maximum of 16 participants. Register early to reserve your place! 

Content

Practitioners working in the peacebuilding, humanitarian and development sectors are often exposed to traumatic and stressful environments that can significantly impact on their mental health and general well-being. Understanding these stressors and their effects can provide valuable insights for themselves and those supporting them and working with them. Further, insights into the emotional effects and coping mechanisms can help in fostering resilience and ensuring that practitioners can both sustain their work and protect their mental health at the same time.

Objectives

• Gain a solid understanding of trauma and stress, including the different types (e.g. acute, chronic, vicarious, and collective trauma), how they manifest in humanitarian, development, and peacebuilding settings, and their impact on individuals and teams
• Develop awareness of personal triggers and coping mechanisms, with guided self-reflection exercises designed to enhance self-awareness, reduce burnout risk, and support emotional resilience in the field
• Explore strategies for building and sustaining resilience, both individually and collectively, with a focus on protective factors, peer support, and creating psychologically safe team cultures

Topics

• Key concepts, principles and distinctions of trauma, stress, and resilience
• Common patterns and responses to trauma and stress in conflict and post-conflict settings
• Recognizing personal and professional trigger points and awareness of boundaries
• Developing and building up individual and team resilience
• Identifying and integration of strategies and practices to support individuals and groups to allow for sustaining practitioners in their work contexts

Methodology

The aim of this training is to provide an interactive and practice-oriented learning environment, in order for the participants to acquire the essential skills and knowledge on the topic. The consolidation of the participants’ sense of self, awareness of own patterns, attitudes, behaviors, biases, needs and limits, as well as understanding of group dynamics and the importance of communication are core issues to the training. These are not only put forward through theoretical inputs, but are consistently brought to the focus through practical exercises and the encouragement of self- and group reflection.

After a successful participation, participants receive a certificate and become part of the academy’s alumni network.

Certification Requirements

The course certification requirements serve as a guideline for the participants to critically evaluate their own learning progress and as a point of reflection on the importance of their continued engagement with the group, participation in the course and commitment to the tasks.

The specific requirements are the following:

• Punctuality and regular attendance during the course. Participants are allowed up to 25% of absence, with permission from the Academy, to attend to urgent issues;
• Completion of 90% of the compulsory tasks and deliverables per module; and
• Respect and observance of the agreements about the learning process such as; active participation, treating each other with respect, readiness to work on one’s own skills, willingness to resolve conflicts in a constructive way, and openness to reflect on one’s roles and behaviours, emotions and thoughts.

Exceptions on individual basis and/or alternative tasks as compensation of missed requirements could be granted in agreement with the course team. Gaining new knowledge and perspectives and learning new skills are the core outcomes of the course. However, inability to meet most or all the requirements may lead to the participant not receiving a certificate at the end of the course.

Do you have questions about this training? Our team is happy to assist you. Please do not hesitate to contact me: claudia.osthues@propeace.de

Application

Please register for this training online via our website by 31 December 2026. We will then contact you for the next steps. Please note that the number of available spaces per training is limited, and that your participation in the training is only guaranteed if the training fee is paid in time. Early registration is highly encouraged. 

Please make sure to clearly express your motivation and expectations for the training. Also, please share your experiences relevant to the topic.

Visa: Participants from outside the EU will need a visa to enter Germany. We can generally support the visa process with a formal invitation letter from our side. Be advised that it takes a significant amount of time to get the visa processed, so be sure to start the process 8 weeks before the training start. Please make sure you are eligible and check the specific requirements and usual timeline for processing with your local German embassy. The responsibility for obtaining the visa lies with each of the participants themselves.