Childhood trauma can have a lasting impact on adolescents, even into adulthood. Trauma is often associated with physical, sexual, or emotional abuse and neglect. It can also result from other experiences, such as witnessing violence in the home or community or experiencing the death of a loved one. Unfortunately, medical professionals and educators have traditionally overlooked addressing childhood trauma.
However, addressing trauma can have a powerful impact on your child’s mental health and well-being. A trauma therapy program can provide support to help teens cope with their experiences and move forward in life. HillsidesCares understands childhood trauma’s effects and offers a trauma therapy program for teens and children. To learn more about our program, call us today at 323.641.4842, and we would be happy to answer any of your questions about addressing trauma with your child.
Effects of Childhood Trauma
Childhood trauma can have a lasting and profound effect on your child’s emotional and psychological development. Understanding how these life-altering events shape your child’s way of thinking, feeling, and behaving is vital to effectively providing them with the best possible care. Signs of childhood trauma may include:
- Anxiety and fearfulness
- Low self-esteem
- Poor academic performance
- Difficulty forming relationships
- Uncontrollable anger or rage
- Self-harming behaviors
If you recognize any of these signs or behaviors in your child, it is important to seek help for them so that you can provide the most supportive environment possible for their healing process.
How to Effectively Address Trauma with Your Child
Trauma can be a difficult thing to have to talk about with your child. It can often leave them feeling overwhelmed and even scared of what you might say or do. That’s why it’s important to approach the conversation from a place of understanding and compassion. Give your child space to express their feelings, fears, and worries without judgment or pressure.
You must recognize that trauma is an ongoing process, so don’t expect quick fixes or overnight solutions. Instead, be open to listening empathetically and providing supportive feedback that builds trust and safety—emphasizing your commitment to helping them cope with their trauma in healthy ways. As long as you take the time to have these conversations with your child in a direct yet engaging way with a warm and welcoming tone of voice, they will know they are supported, encouraged, and cared for no matter what.
Is Addressing Trauma Important?
Addressing trauma is essential in helping your child develop a healthy relationship with themselves and the world around them. It can foster resilience, increase self-esteem, and encourage communication and problem-solving skills. Addressing trauma also helps to restore hope for the future, allowing your child to feel safe and secure in their environment despite any problematic experiences they have gone through.
At HillsidesCares, we understand the importance of addressing trauma in teens and children. We offer a trauma therapy program to help them cope with their experiences in a safe and supportive environment. Our trauma-informed approach combines counseling, cognitive-behavioral therapy, and family therapy to provide the best care for addressing trauma.
Learn More About a Trauma Therapy Program for Your Child at HillsidesCares
At HillsidesCares, we understand the effects of childhood trauma. We provide a caring, compassionate trauma therapy program to help teens and children cope. Our experienced counselors are dedicated to providing evidence-based care in a safe and supportive environment to ensure your child’s recovery is comprehensive and lasting. Addressing trauma is an ongoing process, and we are here to help you every step of the way.
If you want to learn more about addressing trauma with your child or enroll in our trauma therapy program, please contact us today at 323.641.4842.