Transforming Trauma Together Festival
May 11–13, 2026, Humber Polytechnic Lakeshore Campus
Join us for the Transforming Trauma Together Festival, taking place May 11 to 13, 2026, at the Lakeshore Campus of Humber Polytechnic.
This three-day, trauma-informed conference brings together survivors of childhood sexual abuse (CSA), advocates, artists, educators, researchers, students, and community organizations to explore healing, resilience, and social change through interdisciplinary and creative approaches.
Festival Features
The festival will feature:
- Film screenings with panel discussions
- Poetry and storytelling
- Expressive arts, music, movement, and somatic workshops
- Panels with mental health professionals and community organizations
- Survivor-led conversations across all gender identities
- Academic and student-led presentations
- Art and vendor exhibits
- Dedicated daily processing and grounding spaces supported by trained facilitators
Program Highlights
Subject to Confirmation
Day 1 – May 11, 2026
Evening film screening and panel discussion
Film: Prey
Day 2 – May 12, 2026
Poetry, music, professional panels, film discussions, movement, and evening film programming
Day 3 – May 13, 2026
Survivor panels, expressive arts and writing workshops, tapping/EFT, academic presentations, and social change/action sessions
Full Workshop Schedule & Registration
Below you will find the full workshop schedule and individual registration links. Capacity is limited for many sessions, so we encourage early registration.
Please note that some sessions run concurrently. Review the schedule carefully when registering.
Day 1 - May 11, 2026
Opening Remarks
May 11 | 6:00 PM
A formal welcome delivered by the Transforming Trauma Together event committee, recognizing the importance of provincial leadership in supporting survivors.
No Registration Required
Film Screening with Panel Discussion – Prey by Matt Gallagher
May 11, 2026, 6:15 PM – 9:00 PM
A screening of Prey, followed by a panel discussion with survivors and invited experts. The panel will explore themes raised in the film and invite meaningful community dialogue. Max 100 attendees.
Register for This Session
Day 2 - May 12, 2026
Poetry Workshop – Matthew Ray Jones, Poet Laureate
May 12, 2026, 9:30 AM – 10:30 AM
Matthew shares original poetry reflecting on trauma, resilience, and healing. This session highlights the power of language as a pathway to voice and validation. Max 60 attendees.
Register for This Session
Limits of Forgiveness Film
11:00am to 12:30pm J203 (tiered, capacity 65)
Marlee Liss, SA survivor chooses something radical: a restorative sentence. She meets her assailant face-to-face. She demands real accountability-not the kind our system offers. And she forces every one of us to ask: What does justice actually mean?
Register for This Session
Expressive Somatic Tapping (EFT)
May 12, 2026 | 11:00 AM – 12:30 PM | Facilitator: Pramilda Zackhariyas
An interactive workshop introducing Emotional Freedom Techniques to support nervous system regulation. Participants will learn practical tools for grounding and emotional release.
Register for This Session
Panel – Mental Health Professionals & Organizations
May 12, 2026, 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM
Featuring representatives from Family Services of Peel, Bikers Against Child Abuse, and Addiction Rehab Toronto. Panelists will discuss trauma-informed care, prevention, and collaborative community responses.
Register for This Session
Book/Writing Workshop
May 12, 2026, 2:00 PM – 4:30 PM | Facilitators: Arthur, Heidi, Thom, Ramona, Cathy, Ghrian
This interactive session explores writing as a pathway for transforming lived experience into healing and advocacy through guided exercises, reflection, Q&A, and discussion.
Register for This Session
Dynamic Balance Workshop – Brad Hutchinson
May 12, 2026, 2:00 PM – 4:00 PM
Brad leads an experiential session focused on physical alignment and emotional regulation. Participants will explore balance as both physical, spiritual, and psychological practice.
Digital Storytelling – Finding Voice Through Story
May 12, 2026, 4:00 PM – 5:00 PM Facilitators: Mike Allan & Stewart Thompson
An introduction to digital storytelling as a space for finding voice, reflection, and connection. Through blogging, including examples from Inside Out Healing for Men, and podcasting through the Personal Transformation Podcast, participants will explore gentle, choice-based ways of expressing lived experience. The session centres on agency, safety, and each person’s right to share, or not share, their story.
Braving Healing Film
May 12, 2026, 6:00pm – 8:00pm
The Documentary wades into the complex, often messy, and sometimes contradicting, journeys of healing after childhood sexual abuse. This film weaves together six very different stories of healing, alongside experts and advocates
Day 3 - May 13, 2026
Panel – All Gender Identities CSA Survivors
May 13, 2026, 9:30 AM – 10:30 AM
Survivors of diverse gender identities share lived experiences of abuse, healing, and advocacy. This panel centres intersectionality and affirming support spaces.
Register for This Session
Expressive Arts Workshop
May 13, 2026, 11:00 AM – 12:30 PM
A facilitated creative space using artmaking as a tool for trauma processing. No artistic experience is required.
Register for This Session
Film with Panel – Magic & Monsters
May 13, 2026, 11:00 AM – 1:30 PM
A documentary screening examining abuse, secrecy, and accountability. A virtual panel discussion will follow to unpack themes and encourage dialogue.
Register for This Session
Chi Kung Workshop – Theresa Y & Jacqueline
May 13, 2026, 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM
A gentle movement and breath-based practice rooted in traditional Chinese healing arts. Participants will explore embodied restoration and energy balance.
Register for This Session
Coming Back to the Body: A Somatic Practice
May 13, 2026, 2:00 PM – 4:00 PM
A gentle, guided, somatic experience designed to help participants reconnect with their bodies at their own pace. Through awareness, breath, and optional movement, this session supports grounding, presence, and a sense of internal safety. No prior experience required.
Register for This Session
Humber Polytechnic presentations: Workshops exploring trauma through academic and applied lenses.
May 13, 2026, 2:00 PM – 3:30 PM | Aqeel Saeid, PhD
Healing Beyond Trauma: Rethinking the Impact of Childhood Sexual Abuse
Presenter: Aqeel Saeid, PhD- ( 2:00 – 2:50 pm )
This workshop raises awareness about the impact of childhood sexual abuse (CSA) and its association with later violent and criminal behaviour, while centring the importance of healing and support for survivors. Research suggests that individuals with CSA histories may face elevated risks of adverse outcomes, including a higher likelihood of violent offending; however, CSA is not a deterministic pathway to violence. Most survivors do not engage in harmful behaviour. Emphasizing a trauma-informed perspective, this session highlights the importance of early intervention, supportive environments, and accessible resources to promote recovery, resilience, and healthy life trajectories.
Workshop 2:
In Their Own Words: A Survivor-Centred Case Study Approach to Understanding Childhood Sexual Abuse.
Presenter: Aqeel Saeid, Ph.D. (2:55- 3:40 pm)
This workshop introduces a qualitative case study project that centers on survivor-written narratives to explore the lived experiences and long-term impacts of childhood sexual abuse. The study uses a participant-controlled narrative approach, allowing participants to share their experiences in their own words, guided by a flexible case study guide, and to determine the depth and focus of their narratives. The study uses a participant-controlled narrative approach, combined with qualitative thematic analysis to examine patterns in survivor experiences.
Preliminary findings will highlight key themes related to barriers to healing, including safety and capacity, trauma literacy, structural access to care, and collective responsibility. The session will conclude with reflections on the implications for research, practice, and policy.
Register for This Session
Presentation – Dr. Sabra Desai
May 13, 2026, 2:00 PM – 3:30 PM
An exploration of youth experiences aging out of Ontario’s child welfare system, highlighting systemic inequities and the importance of centring youth voices. Includes reflection and group discussion.
Social Change & Action – Heidi & Arthur
May 13, 2026, 4:00 PM – 5:00 PM
A closing session focused on translating healing into advocacy and collective impact. Participants will identify tangible next steps for community-based change.
Register for This Session
Processing and Reflection Space
May 12 & 13, 2026 | 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM | 3–5 On-Site Facilitators
A quiet, supported space open throughout both days for reflection and grounding. Trained facilitators will be available to support emotional processing and meditation.
Art Exhibit and Vendors Market
An Art Exhibit with Guided Viewing and a Vendors Market will be open throughout the festival.
Our Grounding Belief
This festival is grounded in the belief that healing does not happen in isolation. It happens in community, through shared stories, creativity, learning, and collective care.
For Students Attending
Students who attend the TTTF workshops and activities will develop a deeper, evidence-informed understanding of trauma, risk, and resilience associated with childhood sexual abuse (CSA), while gaining practical, trauma-informed tools to apply in their academic work and future professional practice.