Childhood Trauma

Has your child had a traumatic experience or loss?

• Does your child get easily startled?

• Is your child getting very upset when reminded of the traumatic experience or loss?

• Is your child experiencing difficulty with developing and maintaining friendships?

• Is your child blaming themselves for what happened?

As a parent, you want to make sure that your child feels safe and loved. You may have noticed several weeks, months, or years after your child experienced a traumatic event that they seem more fearful and anxious or withdrawn and numb. You may be aware that you are more protective of your child, fearful and anxious that they will get hurt again. You may not feel comfortable speaking with your child about what happened to them, as a way to cope and avoid experiencing painful emotions and memories.

Parenting a child who has experienced a traumatic event can be challenging and you not only are longing for guidance, but you also want your child to get the help they need in order to thrive.

A couple facts about childhood trauma

Children may experience traumatic stress following a very stressful, shocking, frightening, or distressing event, or after a prolonged traumatic experience.

Experiences that might be traumatic:

• Bullying

• Car crash

• Community violence

• Fire

• Life-threatening illness

• Medical trauma

• Natural or man-made disaster

• Sudden or violent death of a loved one

• Traumatic grief

Children’s reactions to traumatic experiences can vary and depend on the child’s age, developmental stage, their personality, and the type of traumatic experience they had. Resources and supports available to a child to foster coping following the traumatic event can also play a role in a child’s experiences after the distressing event.

Trauma can have an impact on a child’s brain and body.

Children’s responses to a traumatic experience can persist and affect a child’s level of functioning, such as their academic participation and their ability to form attachments.

You may have noticed a change in your child’s behavior, depressive symptoms or anxiety, and your child may experience difficulty with regulating their emotions, resulting in intense emotional upset. Your child may have lost the ability to use previously gained skills and may report physical symptoms, such as headaches.

You may have also noticed any of the following:

• Your child finds it challenging to focus or pay attention

• Your child experiences upsetting dreams or nightmares

• Your child experiences difficulty with eating and sleeping

• Your child is afraid about being separated from you

• Your child may reenact what happened in their play or drawings

• Your child avoids situations that may remind them of the traumatic experience

• Your child struggles with experiencing positive emotions

So how can therapy help?

Childhood trauma can have significant, lasting effects, however, there is hope. Trauma-focused interventions are utilized in therapy to foster healing and growth and to provide support to you. These interventions typically include:

• Providing a space for children to express themselves, work through painful emotions, and regain a sense of self-control

• Providing trauma-related information to children and their families

• Teaching emotional regulation and safety skills

• Teaching parenting skills to foster parent’s efforts of supporting their child

• Constructing a trauma narrative and processing

Your support and participation in therapy is crucial and we will work together to explore your child’s needs and ways to integrate individualized tools and strategies to foster your efforts of supporting your child at home.

The primary trauma therapy approaches to promote healing, growth, and improved mental health in children (ages 3-12) at Meadow Grove Counseling, LLC are:

• Child-Centered Play Therapy

• EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) Therapy and Play Therapy (integrated approach)

• Sand Therapy

Ready to Take the Next Step?

After reviewing this information, you may feel ready to schedule a therapy intake appointment for your child or you still may have some concerns or questions. I encourage you to reach out for a consultation, so that we can explore together if child therapy may be appropriate for your child and if we are a good fit.