Developmental Trauma Training Institute

Developmental Trauma Training Institute We equip professionals with the skills to recognize and treat trauma.

We envision a world where children, adults, families & communities can access effective treatment and support healing from Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE’s) and truly thrive.

So close now—just a few days away from Brainspotting Phase 1 in Bloomington, MN.There’s something powerful about steppin...
04/22/2026

So close now—just a few days away from Brainspotting Phase 1 in Bloomington, MN.

There’s something powerful about stepping into a space that deepens how we listen, track, and stay with experience—both in ourselves and in others. Phase 1 is where the foundations are laid: orientation to the method, the frame, and the subtle art of where we place attention and how that shifts processing.

If you’re heading in, it’s that mix of anticipation and curiosity right before something new becomes embodied.

Bloomington is about to hold a lot of learning.

Still time to register: https://accswi.com/etn/brainspotting-phase-1-bloomington-mn-april-24-26th/

04/21/2026

Change is hard—it’s a journey, not a destination.

Steve spoke about the amygdala’s role in keeping things the same, even when we want something different. He also drew on Brené Brown’s insight that “shame corrodes the part of us that believes we are capable of change.”

Relapse can be a difficult part of the process, but it’s often shame that keeps people stuck in old patterns. When we meet ourselves—and others—with kindness, patience, and persistence, something begins to shift. The grip of shame loosens, and change starts to feel possible again.

Steve shares a powerful story of a young man who went through 16 treatment experiences. It was through the gradual collapse of shame—within safe, steady conversations—that lasting change finally took hold.

Deep gratitude for a rich weekend of practicum and live demonstrations within Brainspotting Digging Roots 1.0 training, ...
04/20/2026

Deep gratitude for a rich weekend of practicum and live demonstrations within Brainspotting Digging Roots 1.0 training, moving through real experience and exploring the process all the way to “zero”.

🩶Special gratitude to Josh Delahan for facilitation across Days 1 & 2 and for supporting the final stages of his educator-in-training journey, including two live demonstrations.

🩶To Brittany Shultz, our incredible assistant—your steadiness, care, and presence supported the whole field in meaningful ways.

🩶To Jessica Cannon for initiating and making sure this training happened!

🩶And heartfelt thanks to Mindfit Counseling for offering the training space—such a supportive and thoughtfully held environment for learning and practice. (And also
Check out their yoga space in the pictures!)

🩶And to everyone who traveled from out of state to be part of this experience—your presence brought depth, dedication, and connection to the group.

Feeling grateful, grounded, and connected. There was something deeply warm, relational, and grounded in this training space that I will carry forward.

Next Digging Roots Training, Asheville, NC May 15-17: https://www.eventzilla.net/e/raleigh-nc-digging-roots-foundations-amp-in-person-digging-roots-10-2138684014

There’s something deeply meaningful about watching a team truly lean into growth—not just as a training, but as a way of...
04/17/2026

There’s something deeply meaningful about watching a team truly lean into growth—not just as a training, but as a way of being.

We want to take a moment to recognize Canyon Hills Center, Spearfish, SD for the care, intention, and openness they continue to bring to their work alongside the Developmental Trauma Training Institute.

From Brainspotting Phases 1 & 2, to Digging Roots Brainspotting, High Acuity Care Brainspotting, and now a 3-day HeartMath integration, their commitment isn’t surface-level. It’s showing up in how they are weaving these practices into everyday moments—from line staff to therapists—shaping the culture from the inside out.

What stands out most is the heart behind it.

HeartMath offers simple, practical ways to support emotional steadiness, clarity, and connection—helping people shift from overwhelm toward a more grounded, coherent state. It’s not just a set of tools, but a way of relating to ourselves and others with more presence and intention.

And that’s exactly what we’re seeing here.

Canyon Hills Center is bringing something genuine to South Dakota—something that can be felt in the quality of care, in the relationships, and in the willingness to keep learning.

We’re grateful to be part of that process.

Learn more about HeartMath here:
https://www.stevesawyerlcsw.net/heartmath

Have you ever noticed that you can understand something clearly… and still feel your body respond?This is something many...
04/15/2026

Have you ever noticed that you can understand something clearly… and still feel your body respond?

This is something many people experience—you can make sense of a pattern, know where it comes from, and still feel it show up.

Part of this has to do with how different parts of the brain process experience.

The midbrain plays a role in survival responses and works through sensation, emotion, and instinct—not just thought.

Brainspotting offers a way to access these deeper systems, creating space for processing that goes beyond insight alone.

Steve wrote more about how this works and why it matters here: https://healingattheroots.wordpress.com/2026/04/15/how-brainspotting-accesses-the-midbrain/

Interested in Brainspotting Training? https://www.dtti.co/upcoming-training-events

You can understand your patterns clearly, but still feel them showing up in real time.Many people recognize this moment ...
04/14/2026

You can understand your patterns clearly, but still feel them showing up in real time.

Many people recognize this moment in their own healing—you can see the pattern, name it, even understand where it comes from… and yet it still shows up in how you feel and respond day to day.

This is often where body-based healing becomes meaningful —working with the layers of experience that live in the body and nervous system.

I wrote more about this here, exploring why insight alone isn’t always enough and what can shift when the body is included in healing.

Read more: https://openviewyoga.home.blog/2026/04/14/bottom-up-vs-top-down-healing-why-understanding-isnt-always-enough/





04/14/2026

Ever catch the way you talk to yourself—and wonder whose voice it actually is?

In today’s Facebook Live with Steve Sawyer we explored inner voices—not just finding your voice, but recognizing the many that already live within you.

The one that criticizes.
The one that rushes.
The one that tries to keep you safe.

And then… what are you feeding those voices?

The music you listen to.
The content you consume.
The spaces and relationships you stay in.

Like water seeking its own level, we often match our external world to our internal one.

So if fear or tension feels familiar, we may unknowingly keep feeding it—because it’s what we’ve known.

But there is choice, over time.

Steve shared parts of his own journey—how even his relationship with music shifted as his inner world began to change.

Because the way we speak to ourselves doesn’t stay inside.
It becomes how we speak to others.

It can show up as reactivity, gossip, and edge…
or as grounded presence and embodied kindness.

A simple place to begin:
Notice the voice.
And gently notice what you’re feeding it.

You can’t prune what needs to be unearthed.Some patterns aren’t surface-level.They’re rooted in early attachment, adapta...
04/12/2026

You can’t prune what needs to be unearthed.

Some patterns aren’t surface-level.
They’re rooted in early attachment, adaptation, survival.

Digging Roots is where Brainspotting meets developmental trauma—
and where we begin to gently uncover what’s been organizing beneath the surface.

This isn’t about fixing.
It’s about learning how to be with what’s already there—
and allowing that to shift.

5 days away! Join Steve Sawyer & Josh Delahan in Carmel IN for Digging Roots Brainspotting!

→ Step into the work & Train with us : https://www.eventzilla.net/e/indianapolis-in-digging-roots-foundations-amp-in-person-digging-roots-10-2138677687

You can feel it before you can explain it. What is a brain spot? 💡A brainspot is a specific eye position that connects t...
04/10/2026

You can feel it before you can explain it. What is a brain spot? 💡A brainspot is a specific eye position that connects to how an experience is stored in the brain and body.

In Brainspotting, this connection is used to access material that may not be fully available through cognition or language alone.

Through a brainspot, the system may begin to access:
• unprocessed experiences
• implicit memory
• body-based responses
• emotional activation

Rather than analyzing or interpreting, the focus is on sustained attention and allowing the process to unfold.

Sometimes the shift doesn’t come from figuring it out—
but from giving the brain and body space to process.

Learn more about Brainspotting Phase 1:
🧠April 24-26 Bloomington, MN: https://accswi.com/etn/brainspotting-phase-1-bloomington-mn-april-24-26th/
🧠May 1-3, Bozeman MT: https://www.eventzilla.net/e/brainspotting-phase-one--inperson--bozeman-mt-2138678530
🧠June 5-7 Rapid City, SD: https://www.eventzilla.net/e/brainspotting-phase-one--inperson--rapid-city-sd-2138675750

04/08/2026

Sometimes it’s hard to know how to connect with someone — whether a client, colleague, or neighbor. Early experiences and life patterns can shape trust, expression, and relationships in ways that aren’t always visible.

Paying attention, noticing, and responding with care can make a real difference. Even small moments of empathy or curiosity ripple outward in ways that last.

Every thoughtful interaction is an opportunity to grow, connect, and expand what’s possible.

DTTI courses give a supportive space to explore these human dynamics, practice thoughtful engagement, and deepen understanding — both personally and professionally.

Upcoming Courses:

https://www.dtti.co/upcoming-training-events

04/07/2026

Sometimes what we see on the surface… isn’t the whole story.

Anger.
Lateral violence.
Addiction.

We’re often quick to label or try to fix—but what if these are expressions of something deeper?

In today’s Facebook Live, Steve Sawyer with the Developmental Trauma Training Institute shared powerful insights on how historical trauma and developmental trauma are often woven into these experiences—shaping how pain shows up in individuals, families, and communities.

When we begin to look through that lens, things like lateral violence or patterns of addiction start to make more sense—not as something to excuse, but as something to understand more fully.

That understanding can shift how we respond.
With more awareness.
With more care.
With more intention.

A special shoutout to the Anpetu Luta Treatment Program for welcoming this work into some of the toughest spaces of addiction. The depth, intention, and commitment there truly matters.

If you’ve ever wondered “why does this keep happening?”
This conversation offers a different perspective—one rooted in compassion, context, and possibility.

✨ Maybe the shift isn’t in trying harder to fix what we see…
but in becoming curious about what’s been carried.

You’re invited to watch the replay.

If your interested in learning more about working with Developmental Trauma, you’re invited to Digging Roots Foundations starting April 15 ( you do not have to be Brainspotting trained to join) : https://courses.dtti.co/dr05-foundations

Another course to take is Cur from the Herd, an addictions course starting April 15: https://courses.dtti.co/cut-from-the-herd-guided-practitioner-cohort-1

Both are on demand courses with Live cohort discussions with Steve.

Address

Bend, OR
97702

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 5pm
Tuesday 9am - 5pm
Wednesday 9am - 5pm
Thursday 9am - 5pm
Friday 9am - 5pm

Website

https://linktr.ee/developmentaltrauma.institute

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