Ways to Help a Child That Has Experienced Trauma

The ACE (Adverse Childhood Event) study completed by the CDC from 1995-1997 supports a relationship between early events and negative health and well-being outcomes. A trauma can be any adverse event experienced by an individual. Traumatic events include witness to violence, experiencing a death or experiencing neglect. Environmental factors that compromise safety and stability can also be traumatic. These factors include experiencing mental health challenges, family separation or divorce or substance use within a family system. To a child, an adverse event can include negative peer interactions, difficulty in school or negative self-talk.

How do I support a child?

• Provide safety. Children need to feel physically and emotionally safe. A stable environment with consistent caregivers provides security.

• Provide consistency and routine. Children respond well to consistent bedtimes, eating schedules and repetition. Addressing changes in routine and providing communication concerning schedule changes supports consistency.

• Listen. Asking children for their questions and answering them age appropriately. If unable to answer a question, provide reassurance and seek an answer.

• All feelings are ok. Monitor the intensity and frequency of strong emotions. Notice if emotions are heightened in response to the situation.

• Encourage healthy coping. Monitor for maladaptive behaviors. Practice and label heathy coping for kids. Exercise and eat together.

• Be patient. Healing can’t be rushed.

• Seek professional help, guidance and support from others. Ask questions regarding treatment focus and professional’s training. Specific modalities including TFCBT (Trauma Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy) and EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing) are empirically supported treatments.

EMDR has shown to be very effective in helping children work through traumatic memories and experiences. EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing) is a therapeutic technique focused on reprocessing trauma or specific events. Any adverse event can allow an individual to feel “stuck” and impact future situations. Utilizing bilateral stimulation, typically eye movements, but could also be music, light or movement based, allows our brains to engage in correcting negative thoughts and instilling positive resources or images.

EMDR allows a negative thought “I can’t do it” to shift to “I can do it” or “I am prepared.”

Therapists certified in EMDR have received extensive training and supervision. EMDR is beneficial for children and adults and can be focused on future concerns, as well.

Common areas of focus for children include –

• Peer challenges – “they are mean to me”

• School refusal – “I don’t want to go. I don’t like school”

• Dental/Doctor refusal- “I’m not going to open my mouth. They can’t help me”

• Sports challenges – “I can’t play. Everyone laughs at me.”

Children can benefit from reprocessing difficult situations to allow for growth and application of learned skills to new situations. EMDR also encourages building and recognizing resources.