Traumatic experiences and stressful life realities for children take many forms. They are not only recognizable in major turning points, such as after experiencing flight and displacement or in clearly recognizable forms of violence, but also manifest themselves in small, often quiet and overlooked moments of everyday life.

In the classroom, they not only influence students' learning, but also affect their own well-being, their sense of security, and their relationships with other children.

If these signals are noticed early on by educational professionals and addressed with sensitivity, school can become a safe place that provides support and enables development.

The Heinke Sofka Foundation for Trauma Therapy is committed to making school such a place and to anchoring an understanding of trauma and how to deal with it in the learning and living environments of children and teachers.

To this end, it promotes practical one- to two-day workshops at Berlin elementary schools aimed at teachers and students. These workshops impart in-depth knowledge about trauma dynamics and develop concrete options for self-regulation and stress management.

The goal is to create learning spaces where children feel seen, safe, and empowered. At the same time, teachers and students should develop a deeper understanding of how traumatic experiences influence learning and behavior, and learn how they can actively help shape a supportive and conducive learning environment through self-regulatory and body-oriented approaches.

These goals are implemented in coordinated workshop formats for teachers and students.

1) Continuing education for teachers:

This workshop focuses on teachers. They gain the knowledge they need to recognize trauma dynamics in students, strengthen their own self-regulation skills, and design the classroom as a safe space conducive to learning.

The workshop teaches an understanding of the neurobiological processes of stress and trauma, especially the autonomic nervous system, and their effects on children's behavior.

On this basis, participants learn to perceive traumatized students in a more targeted manner, to better understand their feelings and needs, and thus to gain more orientation in challenging situations.

A special focus is placed on teachers' own self-regulation skills, because only if they are contextually confident and stable can they act as reliable reference persons in everyday school life and give students the necessary support and assistance they need.

The workshop is designed to last one to two days and can be adapted accordingly, depending on time resources.

Contents:

• Recognizing trauma and its consequences:
  How do trauma-related disorders manifest themselves, and what behaviors indicate traumatic stress?
• “The trauma is in the body” – the neurobiology of trauma and stress:
  How traumatic stress changes the brain and body and controls physical reactions and behavior.
• Self-protection and self-regulation for teachers:
  Exercises for self-regulation and promoting resilience and stress management.
• Practical exercises:
  Case studies for practical application to gain more confidence in challenging situations in the classroom.
• Intervision among colleagues (optional):
  Opportunity to exchange experiences and solutions to difficult situations. 

2) Workshop for students:

In this workshop, students learn in an age-appropriate way what “stress” is and how it manifests itself in the body. They explore how they can recognize when they are excited, overwhelmed, or tense and what happens in their bodies and minds when this occurs.

With simple, playful, and body-oriented regulation exercises, they learn to calm themselves and improve their concentration. They also learn how our “brain stem” works, why learning is sometimes difficult, and what can help in such situations.

Another focus is on cooperation: students practice recognizing feelings in themselves and others, developing understanding for one another, and supporting each other.

Interactive exercises help to consolidate what they have learned and strengthen their confidence in their own abilities.

The workshop is designed to last two days and can be adapted to specific needs.

Contents:

• What is stress and how does it affect me?
  How can I tell when I am stressed, and how does my body react to it?
• Self-regulation – How can I control my emotions?
  Practical exercises for calming the nervous system that students can integrate directly into their lessons.
• My brain stem and learning:
  Teaching simple methods to counteract learning blocks and increase concentration.
• Strong together – learning from each other:
  The importance of community and how we can support each other.
• Interactive exercises:
  Creative and movement-oriented methods help to deepen what has been learned and develop confidence in one's own abilities.

3) Supervision for teachers and students

Depending on requirements, it is possible to request half a day of supervision for both teachers and students in order to consolidate what has been learned and adapt it for their own practice.

Speakers:

• Corinna Kärnbach (trainer for teachers):
  Social pedagogue, Gestalt and trauma therapist, trauma consultant at universities and educational institutions
• Angela Adhikari (trainer for students):
  Primary school teacher, trauma therapist and consultant, editor and co-author of the guidebook “Body-oriented stress management. Eliminating classroom disruptions, overcoming learning blocks, and increasing concentration.”

Costs:

Apart from a €300 contribution, the costs are covered by the foundation. Upon request, individual adjustments can be made to suit the needs of the school.

Contact and application:

Heinke Sofka
Occupational therapist, founder of the “Foundation for Trauma Therapy”
Phone: 030 – 944 13 580 or 0176 26113521
Email: heinke.sofka(at)gmx.de

Book recommendations for school

• Angela Maria Adhikari: Körperorientierte Stressbewältigung – Unterrichtsstörungen beheben, Lernblockaden lösen, Konzentration steigern
• Kati Bohnet: Die Reise des Schmetterlings – Stressregulation für Kinder
• Sean M. Inderbitzen: Autism in Polyvagal Terms – New Possibilities
• Teresa Garland: Self-Regulation and Strategies – Keeping the Body, Mind and Emotions on Task in Children with Autism, ADHD or Sensory Disorders
• Kim S. Golding, Sian Phillips & Louise Michelle Bomber: Working with Relational Trauma in Schools – An Educator’s Guide to Using Dyadic Developmental Practice
• Stephen W. Porges: Safe and Sound – A Polyvagal Approach for Connection, Change, and Healing
• Peter A. Levine & Maggie Kline: Trauma Through a Child’s Eyes – Awakening the Ordinary Miracle of Healing
• Maggie Kline: Brain-Changing Strategies to Trauma-Proof Our Schools – A Heart-Centered Movement for Wiring Well-Being

One-day workshop for upper school students at the Freie Waldorfschule Dahlem on 19.November, 2025

Freie Waldorfschule Dahlem
Auf dem Grat 3, 14195 Berlin

Speaker:
Mathias Thimm
Die Polyvagal-Praxis
Helgolandstr. 1, 14199 Berlin (Schmargendorf)
Email: beratung(at)familie-in-berlin.de

One-day workshop for teachers at the Fashion School in Berlin on the topic of school, resilience, and trauma on 28. November, 2025

Modeschule OSZ Bekleidung und Mode
Kochstr.9 in 10969 Berlin

Speaker:
Corinna Kärnbach Certified social worker/educator Psychotherapist (HP) Mediator, Integrative Gestalt Therapy, SE (Somatic Experiencing) NARM (Neuroaffective Relationship Model for Healing Developmental Trauma)

One-day workshop for school psychologists and social education workers from the Senate Administration and SIBUZ on the topic of school, resilience, and trauma on February 28, 2026

Senate Administration for Education, Youth, and Family Affairs
Schulpsychologisches und Inklusionspädagogisches Beratungs- und Unterstützungszentrum (SIBUZ)

Speaker:

Corinna Kärnbach Certified social worker/educator Psychotherapist (HP) Mediator, integrative Gestalt therapy, SE (Somatic Experiencing) NARM (Neuroaffective Relationship Model for Healing Developmental Trauma)