Thomas College in Waterville plans to launch a master’s degree in trauma healing and community wellness this fall to help professionals across a range of disciplines better support children and communities affected by trauma.
The Master of Education degree in trauma healing and community wellness is intended for current and future educators, social service providers, youth development professionals, daycare operators and health care workers who serve children and adolescents.
Coursework will explore trauma through developmental, cultural and systemic perspectives.
The program will also emphasize practical healing approaches, offering training in mindfulness, yoga, movement and arts-based practices that can help individuals regulate emotions and process trauma.
“We know that trauma doesn’t just live in the mind; it is etched into the body and the nervous system,” said Heather Batchelor, an associate professor of education at Thomas College and designer of the program.
“Our program moves beyond traditional ‘talk-based’ approaches by equipping professionals in the service fields with somatic tools — like mindfulness, movement and the arts — to facilitate true, integrative healing where it’s needed most,’ she noted.
About Thomas College
Thomas College, led by President Jeannine Diddle Uzzi, is a career-focused private college founded in 1864. It offers programs in the arts and sciences, business and education.
The school is ranked No. 17 among Maine’s largest colleges and universities in the 2026 Mainebiz Book of Lists, based on full-time undergraduate enrollment of 672 in fall 2025.
