Developmental Trauma and Later Mental Illness
Live Webinar: 16th May 2026
About This Webinar
Children spend countless hours within their home environments, where their earliest relationships shape the foundations of self and emotional development. When trauma occurs during these formative years, it places significant stress on the developing brain–mind system. Childhood adverse experiences—often referred to as developmental trauma—are among the most well-documented risk factors for later mental illness. Early trauma can alter the functioning of the HPA axis, particularly from mid-adolescence onward, increasing vulnerability to a wide range of psychiatric conditions.
In this webinar, Dr Joan Haliburn will explore the profound impact of early relational trauma on later psychological functioning, highlighting the developmental pathways through which early disruptions contribute to mental illness across the lifespan.
Learning Objectives:
By the end of this webinar, participants will have a deeper understanding of:
The high proportion of individuals with mental illness who report childhood abuse and/or neglect.
The strong evidence linking developmental trauma with specific mental illnesses and personality disorders.
How emotional neglect impairs the capacity to recognise, understand, and verbalise emotional states in adulthood.
How developmental trauma contributes to more than 25% of psychiatric disorders in young people.
GLOBAL EXPERT SERIES
Learn how childhood trauma shapes mental health
Explore the developmental pathways from childhood adversity to illness
THE COURSE CURRICULUM
Understand how developmental trauma shapes the brain, attachment, and later mental health
Self-paced module: 4 lessons · 2 hours video · slides · quiz · 90 day access · instant 1.5-hour CPD certificate
GLOBAL EXPERT SERIES
Deepen your understanding of early adversity
Enhance your clinical work with evidence-based insights into trauma’s long-term impacts
About Dr Joan Haliburn
Dr Joan Haliburn is a Consultant Child, Adolescent and Family Psychiatrist, trained in the Conversational Model of Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy, in the Systems Model of Family Therapy and in Attachment Strange Situation. She is in private practice and is a faculty member of the Complex Trauma Training Unit, University of Sydney at Westmead Clinical School. She has been involved in psychotherapy research and writing since graduating in 1987. Her most recent book ‘An Integrated Approach to Short Term Dynamic Interpersonal Psychotherapy: A Clinician’s Guide’ 2017 is used in the short-term therapy training course. She has also co-edited “Humanising Mental Health Care in Australia” 2019 and has authored numerous papers in local and international journals.