Trauma in Children and Teens: Why a family system’s approach is key

There is a growing amount of evidence that demonstrates the positive outcome of caregiver involvement in the treatment of child trauma (Boyer, 2019; Landolt et al., 2017). The most essential protective factor in alleviating the impact of trauma is the presence of social support, typically found in an adult.

Children who have experienced trauma often have mistrust of adults. This can cause a strain on the caregiver-child relationship as the child reacts defensively to adult involvement. Trauma-focused family therapy is important because it provides a safe environment for the child to share traumatic experiences while also educating caregivers and involving them as agents of change.

Given that trauma affects the developmental processes of the child, involving the family with whom the child resides is crucial to effective treatment.

Inclusion of caregivers is particularly essential for younger children who are dependent upon caregivers and who model their behavior based on their observations of the caregiver.

It is important that the child corrects the distorted thought patterns that developed due to the traumatic experience. The caregiver can assist in helping the child create a more accurate narrative. As addressed in the previous article, understanding the nature of the child’s symptoms in order to provide the nurturing and supportive environment that the child needs is crucial.

The child or adolescent will need to learn appropriate emotional regulation skills in order to respond appropriately to triggers in their normal environment. The child will learn these skills in therapy, but it is of utmost importance that the skills be implemented in day-to-day life.

Understanding the potential risks for psychopathology is also vital. Guardians who discipline a traumatized child for displaying “inappropriate” symptoms risk further damaging the child’s ability to trust adults to keep them safe. Effective strategies are invaluable in reversing trauma-related behavioral dysregulation.

Family-systems approaches such as Trauma Focused-Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT) teach the adult how to develop and model effective coping skills, respond appropriately to symptoms, and establish healthy boundaries. This helps the child to regain trust in adults, thereby dramatically increasing the likelihood of a positive outcome.

References

Boyer, W. (2019). Trauma-focused family therapy with children and their families. The Family

Journal: Counseling and Therapy for Couples and Families, 27(2), 175-182.

Landolt, M., Cloitre, M., & Schnyder, U. (2017). How to treat children and adolescents with

trauma-related disorders. In M.A. Landolt, Cloitre, M., & Schnyder, U (Eds.), Evidence-

based treatments for trauma-related disorders in children and adolescents (pp. 507-

517). Springer International Publishing.

About the author: Allie Widener is a therapist at Pediatric and Family Behavioral Health with academic and clinical experience working with complex trauma. Allie specializes in children and adolescents who have a history of trauma. At PFBH in Charlotte, Allie works with clients ages 8 to 65 with a variety of struggles, including trauma, depression, anxiety, self-harm, and more.