3.5 Hours / 3.5 CEs

On Demand | Self-Paced Professional Training

This on-demand professional training program on Trauma-informed Ethical Decision-Making: Employing the 10 Principles of Trauma-Informed Ethical Practice is presented by Cortny Stark, Ph.D., and Kylie Rogalla, Ph.D.

The proposed trauma-informed ethical decision-making model provides helping professionals with a two-part framework for addressing ethical dilemmas with client survivors of trauma. The 10 Principles of Trauma-informed Practice (authors, 2021) and decision-making framework enable the clinician to utilize their knowledge of individuals’ responses to trauma to inform how they interpret and understand the client’s behavior, thought process, and emotional experience. This understanding informs every step of the ethical decision-making process. 

The principles outlined below build upon the SAMHSA (2014) three E’s, four R’s, and eight key principles of trauma-informed care. Key concepts, including Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) and their long-term impact (Anda, 2007; Edwards et al., 2015; Felitti et al., 1998; Felitti, 2009; Wade et al., 2016) further inform the principles of trauma-informed ethical practice. 

The 10 Principles of Trauma-informed Practice (authors, 2021) include:

  1. Attachment and Developmental Considerations
  2. Physiological and Neurobiological Changes
  3. Intergenerational and Historical Trauma
  4. Minority Stress
  5. Cognitive Schema
  6. Self-Concept
  7. Protective Factors 
  8. Family and Community
  9. Clinician Health and Wellbeing
  10. Military, Veteran, and Law Enforcement Status and History


Learning Objectives

Upon completion of this training, participants will be able to:

  • 1 Describe behavioral ethics and the role of ethical principles and professional values in ethical decision-making and practice
  • 2 Describe the key components of SAMHSA’s (2014) trauma-informed practice guidelines to one’s own helping context, and during supported case study analysis
  • 3 Describe the ecological view of trauma, and its role in understanding the trauma response
  • 4 Describe foundational knowledge regarding the impact of exposure to trauma on an individual’s neurobiological processes, cognitive processes, emotional regulation, and decision-making
  • 5 Describe the 10 Principles of Trauma-informed Ethical Practice through the application of core concepts and the trauma-informed ethical decision-making framework to the case of “Adam”

  • Intended Audience

    This training is intended for helping professionals who want to integrate trauma-informed principles into ethical decision-making when working with clients who have experienced trauma. The content is especially relevant for those in mental health, social services, rehabilitation, education, and related fields, providing practical strategies to apply trauma-informed ethics and enhance support for clients with complex trauma histories.

    Examples of Relevant Professionals:

    • Mental health professionals
    • Social workers
    • Case managers
    • Mental health counselors
    • Addictions counselors
    • Rehabilitation counselors
    • Psychologists
    • Counselor educators (including those teaching ethics and fieldwork courses)

  • Experience Level

    This training is designed for licensed and pre-licensed mental health professionals with varying levels of experience in trauma-informed ethical decision-making.


    • Beginner: Participants are new to trauma-informed practice and ethical decision-making frameworks, seeking foundational knowledge of trauma’s impact on clients and ethical considerations.

    • Intermediate: Participants have some experience applying trauma-informed principles and ethical models in practice and are looking to deepen their understanding and integrate advanced concepts, such as the 10 Principles of Trauma-informed Practice, into complex case scenarios.

    • Advanced: Participants are highly experienced in trauma-informed care and ethical decision-making, aiming to refine their expertise, contribute to discussions, and explore nuanced applications of the model in supervision, teaching, or policy development.

  • Practice Setting

    Professionals apply this model in client-facing, multidisciplinary environments that serve individuals and families with complex trauma histories, where safety, confidentiality, and cultural responsiveness are central. Work involves assessment, counseling, case coordination, and crisis response within organizations that expect ethically sound, trauma-informed decisions across policies and day-to-day practice.

    Examples of Practice Settings:

    • Community mental health clinics
    • Hospital and behavioral health units
    • Substance use treatment programs
    • Rehabilitation and disability services
    • Child welfare and family services agencies
    • School-based and educational settings
    • Domestic violence/sexual assault shelters and advocacy
    • Corrections, juvenile justice, and reentry programs
    • Veterans and military-affiliated services
    • Private practice and telehealth

Training Instructors:

Cortny Stark PhD

Cortny Stark PhD

Cortny Stark PhD (she/her/hers) is an Assistant Professor with the University of Colorado Colorado Springs (UCCS) Department of Counseling and Human Services, and Daniels Fund Ethics Initiative Fellow. Dr. Stark is the coordinator for the substance use and recovery counseling undergraduate and graduate emphases at UCCS, and the project director for the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) substance use disorder practitioner education expansion program.

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Kylie Rogalla, PhD

Kylie Rogalla, PhD

Dr. Kylie Rogalla received her Ph.D. in Counselor Education & Supervision from the University of Northern Colorado, including two doctoral minors in Higher Education and Student Affairs Leadership (HESAL) and Applied Statistics and Research Methods (ASRM). Dr. Rogalla earned her Master's degree in Counselor Education (School Counseling) from Winona State University. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology and a minor in Coaching from Minnesota State University Moorhead.

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Training Outline

Key topics covered in this training include:

  • Attachment and Developmental Considerations

  • Physiological and Neurobiological Changes

  • Intergenerational and Historical Trauma

  • Minority Stress

  • Cognitive Schema

  • Self-Concept

  • Family and Community

  • Clinician Health and Wellbeing

  • Military, Veteran, and Law Enforcement Status and History

CE Sponsorship Information

Palo Alto University, Continuing & Professional Studies (CONCEPT) is approved by, recognized by, or maintains sponsorship provider status with the following boards and agencies. We maintain responsibility for all content in our CE/CPD programs. For more information, visit here. 

  1. American Psychological Association (APA): Approved sponsor of continuing education for psychologists.

  2. Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB): Approved continuing education provider (ACE program, Provider #1480), 11/22/2023–11/22/2026.

  3. Canadian Psychological Association (CPA): Approved to sponsor continuing education for psychologists.

  4. National Board for Certified Counselors (NBCC): Approved Continuing Education Provider (ACEP No. 7190).


Sponsorship Approval Statements

Palo Alto University, Continuing and Professional Studies (CONCEPT) is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. Palo Alto University, Continuing and Professional Studies (CONCEPT), is approved by the Canadian Psychological Association to offer continuing education for psychologists. Palo Alto University, Continuing and Professional Studies (CONCEPT) has been approved by NBCC as an Approved Continuing Education Provider, ACEP No. 7190. Programs that do not qualify for NBCC credit are clearly identified. Palo Alto University, #1480, is approved to offer social work continuing education by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Approved Continuing Education (ACE) program. Organizations, not individual courses, are approved as ACE providers. State and provincial regulatory boards have the final authority to determine whether an individual course may be accepted for continuing education credit. Palo Alto University maintains responsibility for this course. ACE provider approval period 11/22/23-11/22/26. Social workers completing this course receive (clinical or social work ethics) continuing education credits. Continuing and Professional Studies, Palo Alto University, is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Psychology as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed psychologists #PSY-0103. Palo Alto University, Continuing and Professional Studies (CONCEPT) is solely responsible for all aspects of the programs. Palo Alto University, Continuing & Professional Studies (CONCEPT), is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Social Work as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed social workers #SW-0356. Palo Alto University, Continuing and Professional Studies, is recognized by the New York State Education Department’s State Board for Mental Health Practitioners as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed mental health counselors. #MHC-0073.