From June 1st to 3rd, SCDI welcomed with Dr. Andrew Winters, Dr. Lesley Harris, and Dr. Lixia Zhang from the Kent School of Social Work and Family Science at the University of Louisville (USA) to our office in Hanoi to deliver a training on trauma-informed care. The training brought together SCDI staff, volunteers, peer outreach workers, and representatives from partner organisations and social enterprises.

Throughout the three-day training, participants explored trauma, adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), psychological stress, and the ways these experiences can shape a person's emotions, behaviours, health, and relationships with others.

Photo: Dr. Andrew Winters introduces the concept of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs).

The training also provided space to discuss resilience, recognise our own responses to stress, and explore practical tools that can be applied in community-based support. Equally important, participants reflected on how those working alongside communities can better care for their own wellbeing and reduce the risk of burnout.

Photo: A drawing exercise inviting participants to visualise their experiences of stress during the training.

At SCDI, our staff, volunteers, peer outreach workers, and partners work alongside communities experiencing vulnerability every day, including children and young people growing up in challenging circumstances. For us, understanding trauma is not only about recognising what people have been through. It is about listening with empathy, building trust, and creating interactions where people feel safe, respected, and understood.

When support is grounded in this understanding, it becomes more than connecting people to services. It becomes a process of strengthening relationships, fostering resilience, and supporting people to move forward in ways that reflect their own strengths and experiences.