Who Wants to Help Get Rid of PTSD in Children?
When traumatic events happen to a child, it can be difficult for educators, administrators, parents, and other family members to know how to help them understand and work through what has happened.
As caring adults, our minds fill up with so many questions about how we can help the child while managing our own reactions. This can cause everything to suddenly become overwhelming, making things feel out of our control adding to the problem.
As soon as you become aware of any signs of trauma in your child; here, we recommend some helpful tips for immediately helping your child to cope in a healthy way.
You Don’t Have to Manage the PTSD Symptoms in Your Child Alone
As in-person and online therapists in Kansas, we understand how challenging traumatic experiences can be, and we are here to help answer some of the questions you need answers to.
What you are feeling is important and plays a critical role in providing your child with the reassurance, comfort, and support they will need to move past the trauma and start healing.
Five Strategies to Help Your Child with Trauma and PTSD Symptoms
What you do and how you act after the child experiences a traumatic event can make a significant difference in your child's progress and ability to properly adjust. Your child is looking to you to feel safe and secure.
Did you know that acting calm is a major factor in helping your child?
Children tend to pick up on our behaviors, so if we are filled with anxiety, they will be anxious as well. One of the best tips we can offer is to act calm and do not discuss your anxieties with or around your child.
Routines Are Key to Keeping Life as Normal As Possible
Additionally, it is important to understand that children thrive in stable environments. In your efforts to guide your child through this unpleasant territory, make sure to maintain their normal routine as much as possible. This will help the child feel safe and secure.
Also, encourage your child to continue normal activities and play will remind them to enjoy themselves.
Name It to Tame It
Your child is going to want to talk to you about their traumatic experience and that is okay. Look for natural openings to talk to your child about the matter and make sure to actively practice listening as well. It is okay for you to share age-appropriate details of the traumatic event in a brief but honest way.
Your child will cope with this in very different ways than you will as an adult. Your validation of their feelings will not only help you understand what your child is experiencing, but it will decrease your child's anxiety knowing that it is normal to feel and express sadness, anger, and guilt.
Let Your Child Know It Is Okay to Talk about It
Always make sure your child knows that it is okay to talk to you about their feelings. Children often have so many questions about traumatic experiences and they need to know that you are ready and willing to talk to them at any time.
Teach your child coping skills for trauma symptoms
It is important that your child has strategies to cope with uncomfortable emotions. Some activities are as follows:
teaching your child to relax with breathing exercises;
teach your child to express themselves with the use of a 'feelings box' where they can quietly share what they are feeling;
encourage family discussions are all helpful things to teach your child as you work through traumatic experiences together.
teach your child to practice journaling;
What is Holding You Back from Starting Trauma Therapy and PTSDTreatment for Children?
The solutions mentioned herein are wonderful items to have in the toolbox when dealing with children exposed to traumatic events; however, these solutions can sometimes be challenging where avoidance, limited resources, lack of support, ongoing conflict and trauma, as well as many other variables are present.
In many cases, this can simply require more time and patience in providing some emotional regulation to the child.
In any case, recognizing the symptoms of trauma in a child can help a family to respond and avoid re-traumatization, and understand their child's traumatic reactions such as behavioral changes, emotional upset or dysregulation, regression, etc.
If the above strategies are not helpful, we are here to help. We use Play Therapy with children to help them process their feelings and thoughts in a developmentally appropriate way. Reach out to one of our therapists to get started with PTSD treatment and trauma therapy in Leavenworth, KS, Overland Park, KS, or via online therapy in Kansas.
Begin Trauma Therapy and PTSD Treatment in Children in Overland Park, KS, and Leavenworth, KS
Your child and family do not need to continue to struggle with the symptoms of trauma. Our team of caring therapists is available to help you and your family work through problems so your entire family can get back to doing all the things you love. Our caring child therapists are ready to work with you! To start counseling at JS Therapy Group located in Overland Park, KS, and Leavenworth, KS, or via online therapy in Kansas, follow these simple steps:
Contact JS Therapy Group and schedule a free consultation,
Meet with one of our caring family therapists
Start feeling like a family again!
Other Counseling Services at JS Therapy Group
Trauma therapy for children is not the only service we offer in our Leavenworth, KS, and Overland Park, KS counseling centers. Other mental health services JS Therapy Group provides include couples therapy, therapy for children and plays therapy, trauma, and PTSD treatment, addictions counseling, premarital counseling, family therapy, depression treatment, affordable and reduced therapy, anxiety treatment and workshops, classes, and groups. We also offer professional consultations and supervision opportunities. If you can’t make it to see one of our therapists for in-person counseling, consider online therapy in Kansas to meet your mental health needs. Contact us to get started or click on one of the links to learn more. Contact JS Therapy Group.
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