Professional Training
One in Four provides specialist training for professionals who offer support for survivors of child sexual abuse in the course of their work.
Certificate Course – Working Therapeutically with Sexual Abuse and Complex Trauma
At One in Four, Ireland, we work together to end child sexual abuse (CSA) by providing expert-led support to survivors, innovating prevention strategies, and empowering societal responsibility. Due to our professional and dedicated services, we are nationally and internationally recognised as a centre of excellence in the field of CSA.
In our work, we see daily that there is a growing demand for therapists who feel confident and clinically equipped to work with the complex and long-lasting impacts of CSA and relational trauma. As such, we developed this course to close that gap.
Each module is delivered by members of our expert clinical and advocacy teams, combining in-depth theory with experiential learning, case-based discussion, and reflective integration sessions. As a participant, you will deepen your understanding of complex trauma, strengthen your relational skills, and enhance your therapeutic capacity to work safely and effectively in this challenging but essential area.
Learning outcomes
- Critically evaluate the developmental impact of complex trauma, including the psychological, emotional, and physiological sequelae – the physical ways the body can react to and carry the experience of CSA – to inform nuanced clinical formulation.
- Integrate and adapt therapeutic modalities responsively and in-the- moment, demonstrating clinical flexibility in alignment with clients’ trauma presentations and emergent needs.
- Analyse and mitigate transference and countertransference – the feelings and reactions that can arise between therapist and client – especially in the context of trauma and abuse, so that attunement and clear clinical boundaries are maintained.
- Reflect on and evaluate the impact of personal values, cultural frameworks, and implicit biases on clinical decision-making to ensure ethical, culturally responsive practice.
- Demonstrate advanced competence in identifying, conceptualizing, and containing trauma-related dynamics within diverse clinical settings.
- Design and implement individualized, sustainable self-care strategies grounded in best practices for trauma-informed clinicians to mitigate vicarious trauma and prevent burnout.
Course modules
Course modules include:
- Working with Child Sexual Abuse: Complex Trauma, Shame, Resourcing and Psychoeducation.
- Therapeutic Modalities and their Approach to Trauma: Body Work, Integrative Psychotherapy, Using Creativity, and Sexual Intimacy after Abuse.
- Systemic Context: Family Support, Group Work, Prevention/dynamics of offending behaviour, working with male survivors, and the role of Advocacy and the legal system.
- Practitioner Focus: Self-Care, and Effective use of Supervision
Two complimentary in-person group supervision sessions will be offered to participants after the course.
Training Dates
2026/2027 Certificate Training Dates
Starting September 2026 – one Saturday a month
05 Sep, 2026
03 Oct, 2026
Time: 10am – 4pm
07 Nov, 2026
Time: 10am – 4pm
05 Dec, 2026
Time: 10am – 4pm
09 Jan, 2027
Time: 10am – 4pm
06 Feb, 2027
Time: 10am – 4pm
06 Mar, 2027
Time: 10am – 4pm
03 Apr, 2027
Time: 10am – 4pm
08 May, 2027
Time: 10am – 4pm
12 June, 2027
Time: 10am – 4pm
2026 Certificate Training Dates
Starting January 2026 – one Saturday a month
31 Jan, 2026
28 Feb, 2026
Time: 10am – 4pm
28 Mar, 2026
Time: 10am – 4pm
25 Apr, 2026
Time: 10am – 4pm
23 May, 2026
Time: 10am – 4pm
27 Jun, 2026
Time: 10am – 4pm
25 Jul, 2026
Time: 10am – 4pm
29 Aug, 2026
Time: 10am – 4pm
08 May, 2027
Time: 10am – 4pm
31 Oct, 2026
Time: 10am – 4pm
Location
35-36 Arran Quay, Smithfield, Dublin, D07 E221
We regret to note that the training location is not wheelchair accessible.
Cost
€2,800 (Fee payable in two installments; September 2026 and January 2027).
We require a non-refundable 10% deposit upon registration to secure your placement.
All proceeds from this course will be used to help fund the services that we provide.
Should the cost be prohibitive for you, please reach out to us to discuss your options.
Requirements
Please note: You must be a qualified psychotherapist or counselling psychologist to be eligible to take this course. At this stage, we do not accept applications from students who have not yet completed their studies or their full allocation of hours.
We require full accreditation from a Therapy Association.
CPD
This course is CPD approved for 55h by the IACP and can be claimed as CPD category A for the IAHIP.
Registration
You can now register for our certificate course, starting in September. The Deadline for registrations is Friday, 17 July 2026.
Please register your interest for this course by filling out the online application form.
For any questions, reach out to [email protected].
Bespoke Programmes
We develop tailored training programmes shaped around each organisation’s specific needs. Our past clients include Tusla, the HSE, An Garda Síochána, and a range of NGOs.