PTSD Awareness Training Course

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is a serious mental health condition that can develop after experiencing or witnessing a traumatic event. It can affect anyone—adults, children, and professionals alike—impacting emotional wellbeing, relationships, and everyday life.

This free PTSD training course provides an accessible yet comprehensive introduction to PTSD and complex PTSD. You’ll learn how it develops, how it affects individuals and families, and the treatments and strategies available to support recovery. The course also explores trauma-informed practice and the importance of professional resilience when supporting people living with trauma.

Why Take This eLearning Course?

PTSD is often misunderstood, yet it affects millions of people in the UK and worldwide. Health and social care professionals are likely to encounter individuals affected by trauma, making it essential to understand the condition and how best to provide support.

Here’s why this course is for you:

• Gain a clear understanding of PTSD: Learn about its history, including “shell shock,” and the differences between PTSD and complex PTSD.
• Recognise who can be affected: Understand risk and protective factors, and explore personal experiences of PTSD.
• Spot the signs: Identify symptoms, from flashbacks and hypervigilance to the challenges faced by families.
• Explore management and recovery: Discover evidence-based treatments, coping strategies, and the role of support from others.
• Support children and young people: Learn how PTSD presents differently in children, and the long-term impacts if left untreated.
• Apply trauma-informed practice: Gain practical strategies for supporting people with trauma, ACEs, and toxic stress.
• Build professional resilience: Understand why training, support, and supervision are essential when working with trauma.

Learning Outcomes

By the end of this course, you will be able to:

• Define PTSD and complex PTSD, and understand their history and development.
• Recognise who can be affected by PTSD and the factors that influence risk.
• Identify the signs, symptoms, and impacts of PTSD on individuals and families.
• Explain the mental and physical health risks associated with untreated PTSD.
• Explore formal treatments, recovery strategies, and self-help approaches.
• Recognise how PTSD presents in children and how to provide effective support.
• Understand the importance of diagnosis, care planning, and person-centred support.
• Apply trauma-informed approaches in health and social care practice.
• Recognise the need for professional supervision and ongoing training in trauma care.

Course Content

This course is divided into eight structured modules:

1. Understanding PTSD – definitions, history, complex PTSD, and emotional flashbacks.
2. Recognising Who Can Be Affected – risk factors, protective factors, and lived experiences.
3. Understanding the Impact of PTSD – symptoms, relationships, family challenges, and health risks.
4. Exploring PTSD Management – treatments, self-support strategies, and recovery with others’ help.
5. Recognising PTSD in Children – signs in children, long-term risks, and support approaches.
6. Understanding Assessment and Care – diagnosis, barriers to help-seeking, and person-centred care.
7. Trauma-Informed Practice – trauma theory, ACEs, toxic stress, and strategies for support.
8. Professional Support – resilience, supervision, and the importance of training when working with trauma.

The course also includes:

• Videos from trusted organisations such as Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust and the UK Trauma Council.
• Knowledge checks to reinforce learning.
• Resources and glossary for ongoing support and development.

Target Audience

This course is designed for:

• Health and social care workers supporting people affected by trauma.
• Carers, support workers, and volunteers who want to understand PTSD better.
• Teachers, youth workers, and community professionals.
• Managers and leaders responsible for staff wellbeing in trauma-informed services.
• Students and learners preparing for roles in mental health and social care.

No prior knowledge of PTSD is required. The course is suitable for beginners but also offers depth for experienced professionals seeking to refresh or update their understanding.

PTSD can affect anyone—but with the right knowledge and skills, professionals can play a vital role in supporting recovery. This course equips you with the tools to understand, recognise, and respond to PTSD in a compassionate, trauma-informed way.

Join today and strengthen your awareness of PTSD in health and social care.