The Relationship Between Trauma, Substance Use Disorder, and Substance Exposed Newborns

Course Description

Continuing Education Hours: 1.5

This course seeks to unpack the relationship between trauma, substance use disorder, and substance exposed newborns. Presented by Camea Peca, Ph.D., MSU, CFTP, CCTS-I, this training will look at a foundation for emotional ad relational health, the importance of environment, and so much more in order to work toward a holistic vision for understanding the neurodevelopment of prenatal exposure to substances. Participants will look at the ways in which trauma and in-utero exposure to substances impacts the newborn.

Learning Objectives


  • Understand how trauma and in-utero exposure impact the newborn
  • Understand how the brain and sensory system changes as a result of exposure and trauma
  • Understand how this particular type of trauma impacts the child and parent long term
  • Explore misconceptions about substance use and exposure in-utero
  • Explore the Parental Role and how to use a strengths based approach to caring for these children


Camea Peca, Ph.D., MSc, CFTP, CCTS-I

Camea has spent over 15 years working with Children and Families in a vast range of settings both locally and abroad. After completing a Bachelor of Science at ASU, Camea spent 10 years abroad studying and working. During this time, she completed a MSc in Psychoanalytic Development Psychology at the Anna Freud Center/University College London including a dissertation in Sensory Integration Therapy and Tactile and Vestibular Processing Disorder. During this training Camea was trained by leaders in attachment and infant development including Dr. Peter Fonagy and Mary Target. As a part of this training Camea had the chance to work with the Child Center for Mental Health and participating in specialty training with leaders in the expressive arts as well as Sir Richard Bowlby, Dr. Dan Hughes, Dr. Bessel van der Kolk, Dr. Bruce Perry, and many others. She completed clinical training and supervision in the Expressive Arts with Dr. Margot Sunderland and the Helping Where It Hurts program which puts expressive arts therapists in inner city London schools. Professionally Camea has worked in a variety of settings including adolescent shelters, inpatient psychiatric units, schools and specialty projects targeting physical and sexualized trauma. For over two years Camea has worked as a Trauma Therapist in a local specialty service targeting children and families that have experienced sexual abuse. Camea specializes in work with very young children and their families and has extensive experience with early developmental trauma and attachment based therapy using the expressive arts and sensory based modalities. Camea uses her eclectic and wide range of international training and clinical experience to deliver dynamic and experiential training.

Enrollment Pricing

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