While this country spends large amounts on abused and neglected children----some thirty to forty billion dollars a year, according to Bessel van der Kolk----relatively little of this money is devoted to helping children recover from the psychological damage they have suffered. As a result, many survivors continue to suffer from the effects of their trauma---depression, substance abuse, eating disorders, etc.---in their adult lives.
In this video series, Bessel van der Kolk and other clinicians from The Trauma Center, along with therapists Joyanna Silberg and Frances Waters, describe the assessment tools and therapeutic approaches that they have found most useful in working the severely traumatized in children. The clinician’s role in such cases often includes working with parents or guardians as well as children, and can extend far beyond the therapy room to encompass psychoeducation and advocacy.
For children with complex PTSD, safety must be established both externally and internally. Maintaining internal safety can be an especially difficult task when the child is highly dissociative. The presenters discuss ground techniques that can help a child to stay safe and stable, and describe the therapeutic modalities—play, talk, art, and group therapy—that they have found useful. Topics include controlling aggression, accessing emotions, changing the trauma story, and using EMDR.
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