Trauma treatment for kids takes a child-friendly approach to help kids within a specific age range understand their trauma and overcome the symptoms associated with it, such as self-destructive habits, chronic anxiety, bed-wetting, and aggressiveness. Although not all children exhibit the same signs of trauma, all can benefit from treatment custom-tailored to help them get through such a challenging time in their lives.
What Happens During Trauma Treatment for Kids?
Trauma treatment for children will often consist of several different types of therapies combined and used to help kids make progress in their daily lives. These are some of the following treatments that can benefit kids of all ages who've experienced trauma to a certain extent:
- Psychotherapy - With psychotherapy, children can speak with an experienced psychotherapist, opening up about their trauma little by little as they feel comfortable doing so. Dependent primarily on talking things out, the idea behind this therapy for kids with trauma is to help them understand that what happened to them wasn't their fault. It's often used to improve a child's perception of themselves while encouraging them to rid their minds of their negative thoughts and feelings about themselves because of their trauma.
- Trauma-focused behavioral therapy sessions - A common practice for children with trauma exhibiting behavioral issues, this form of therapy encourages children to talk, play, and use different techniques to express themselves, such as through drawing and painting. The goal is to get children to open up, recognize their valid feelings, and focus on healing from the trauma they've been through for however long it happened.
- Parent-involved therapy - In some instances, it helps to get the parent involved. Of course, this is on a case-by-case basis. However, with parent-involved treatment, children and their parents learn to communicate openly and effectively to overcome trauma, especially if they've endured it together. It can make a massive difference in the lives of both parents and their children when seeking help together.
What Are the Benefits of Trauma Treatment for Children?
Kids who receive trauma treatment typically learn how to cope with the many emotions they're experiencing because of what they've endured, such as anger, sadness, frustration, anxiety, and even fear. In addition, they discover healthy ways to handle their emotions while finding comfort in knowing they have someone willing to listen to them and offer the support and genuine guidance they need.
Trauma treatment can make a difference when a child has experienced a traumatic event. Children must get help handling these difficult situations. If not, they may begin acting out, struggle to focus in school, and find it challenging to experience happiness.