Name: The Danger of Hope™ Training: A Case Study Examining the Impact of Theatre on Fostering Empathy for Youth with Trauma
Start: 2025-07-16T09:45:00-0500
End: 2025-07-16T10:50:00-0500

Wednesday July 16, 2025 9:45am - 10:50am CDT

303C

Presentation Objectives:

Identify the Impact of Trauma on Black Youth
Evaluate the Effectiveness of Theatre as a Training Tool
Strengthen Practitioner Self-Awareness and Emotional Resilience
Translate Learning Into Action Through Real-World Case Studies

Description
This presentation will share key findings from an IRB-approved case study examining The Danger of Hope™, a theatre-based experiential training designed to increase empathy for Black youth, enhance retention of trauma-informed practices, and shift adult decision-making away from punitive approaches. The study engaged 59 participants from three public universities and one community-based organization, with data showing measurable growth in trauma awareness, self-care, and socio-emotional support strategies.

In addition to presenting outcome data and participant feedback, the session will include a live demonstration of a creative tool used with students and shared during the training—designed to support safe emotional expression and reflection. Attendees will have the opportunity to engage with this tool firsthand and explore its practical application in educational and community settings.

The presentation will also highlight products developed by heal.be.live., LLC that extend the impact of the training. These include therapy processing cards, a digital guidebook, and poetry-based SEL workbooks—resources that help practitioners incorporate creative practices for deeper relationship-building, increased emotional wellness, and sustainable self-care.

Attendees will leave with new insights, actionable tools, and a deeper understanding of how culturally relevant, arts-integrated approaches can transform trauma-informed care for both youth and the adults who support them.

Abstract
The Danger of Hope™ began not as a curriculum, but as a story—one rooted in lived experience. This theatre-based experiential training is built around a one-woman stage play written and performed by Morgan Breon, a former behavior specialist in a Detroit public high school. In her daily work with 9th grade students, Morgan witnessed repeated patterns: suppressed trauma, repressed grief, generational cycles, racism, and a profound distrust in adult-student relationships. The play was her way of making sense of it all. Over time, it became the foundation for a training model rooted in empathy, cultural responsiveness, and trauma awareness.

The Danger of Hope™ uses experiential theatre as its foundation to train non-mental health professionals—educators, university students, and community-based organization staff—on trauma awareness, empathy-building, and culturally responsive practice. The training centers themes pulled directly from the play, including repressed trauma, systemic racism, the need for therapeutic environments, and the impact of adult interactions on student behavior.

This IRB-approved case study explores pilot outcomes from 59 participants across three public universities and one community-based organization that served 10 additional nonprofits. Participants completed both pre- and post-assessments after each training session. These assessments measured changes in five domains: (1) perception of theatre as an effective educational tool; (2) understanding of trauma and its manifestations in Black youth; (3) attitudes around discipline and behavior interpretation; (4) confidence in supporting students’ socio-emotional wellness; and (5) commitment to self-care as a practitioner or educator.

Data revealed statistically and experientially significant shifts across all areas. Participants reported increased empathy, a greater understanding of trauma symptoms, and a stronger belief in theatre as a powerful, more effective training tool. Post-assessments showed notable increases in confidence when applying trauma-informed practices and recognizing behavioral trends rooted in trauma.

Foundational research embedded into the training included Henderson (2017) on how Black teens define trauma, Lanier (2020) on racism as an ACE, Williams et al. (2018) on racial trauma assessment, and additional insights from Dr. Bruce Perry, the CDC, and Dr. Joy DeGruy’s work on Post Traumatic Slave Syndrome.

Participant feedback has been instrumental in shaping the evolution of the training. Adjustments included the expansion of case study analysis (Phase 5), deeper self-care content (Phase 2), and the addition of creative SEL tools.

All 59 case study participants reported that they would recommend the training to peers, consistent with the 99% of nearly 400 global participants who said the same. The Danger of Hope™ is more than a professional development tool—it is a narrative journey that calls participants to reimagine how they engage with Black youth, and challenges them to lead with empathy, awareness, and hope.

Focus Areas: Culturally Relevant Practices, Trauma-Informing Practices, Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs), Secondary Trauma, Suppressed/Repressed Trauma, Generational Trauma, Creative Methods and Tools for Advocacy, Socio-Emotional Learning, Restorative Practices, Effective Listening, School-to-Prison Pipeline, Zero Tolerance Policies

Speakers

Morgan Breon, MA, MSW

Founder & CEO, heal.be.live., LLC

Morgan Breon holds four degrees from the University of Michigan Ann Arbor—Dual Masters in Social Work and Education Policy, and Dual Bachelors in Psychology and English. She is a Certified Relationship Coach in the Gibson Integrated Attachment Theory. Morgan’s core passion is... Read More →

Wednesday July 16, 2025 9:45am - 10:50am CDT
303C

Breakout session

Tickets

claritycon2025

Morgan Breon, MA, MSW