Trauma can have a devastating effect, particularly on children and teens. It can lead to feelings of fear, mistrust, and insecurity. Not only does trauma shape how a person interacts with the world around them, but it can also profoundly affect their relationships. If your child is dealing with trauma, family therapy can help them build healthy connections while healing from their difficult experiences. HillsidesCares offers a family therapy program for adolescents and children to help them rebuild and strengthen relationships with their families.
Our trauma-informed approach provides a safe, supportive environment for teens to express themselves, explore their feelings, and learn healthy coping skills. Through family therapy, your child can better understand trauma’s effects on their relationships and develop the tools they need to build strong connections with their loved ones. If you’re concerned about trauma and its impact on your child, reach out to HillsidesCares for support at 323.641.4842.
The team at Hillsidescares can provide you with the tools and support necessary to help your family bond and heal together. Don’t wait to reach out to HillsidesCares today to understand the effects of trauma and relationships better.
The Definition of Trauma
According to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), trauma is an emotional response to a terrible event or series of events that cause intense physical or emotional harm. Traumatic events can include:
- Physical abuse
- Sexual abuse
- Neglect
- Violence
- Natural disasters
- The death or severe injury of a loved one
The traumatic experience itself can be highly damaging to the person enduring it. However, the aftermath often brings further complications, such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Trauma can affect family relationships and cause significant stress for the trauma survivor and their loved ones. A trauma-informed program offers trauma survivors the opportunity to reconnect with their families in a safe and supportive environment. The effects of trauma and relationships can have a profound impact on your child, and a trauma-informed program can help to heal trauma and create healthier family dynamics.
The Effects of Trauma on Relationships
When someone has experienced trauma, whether physical abuse or the loss of a loved one, it’s common for them to develop trust issues and become emotionally withdrawn from those around them. This can result in isolation from friends and family members, which may lead to feelings of depression or anxiety. Additionally, someone who has experienced significant trauma during childhood or adolescence may lack the ability to form healthy relationships with others. They may struggle with communication in close relationships due to difficulty trusting others and feeling safe enough to open up emotionally.
Trauma has long-lasting, devastating effects that can creep up in our most important relationships. It’s essential to be aware of trauma’s psychological effects on our relational health and take steps to heal from them. For some, talking about our experiences openly with those we trust is an integral part of that healing process. In contrast, it is beneficial for others to find professional avenues for support. No matter what form our journey toward healing takes, building strong and trusting relationships with those around us is an invaluable tool for surviving the aftershocks of traumatic experiences.
Family Therapy Program for Dealing with Trauma
Family therapy programs are designed specifically for children and teens who have experienced significant traumatic events. These programs are effective because they allow children to process their emotions related to traumatic events while learning healthy coping skills, which will help them build strong relationships with friends and family members going forward. Family therapy also helps families learn how best to support each other through difficult times by creating an environment where everyone feels safe enough to share their thoughts and feelings openly without fear of judgment.
Learn More About Our Family Therapy Program for Adolescents and Children at HillsidesCares
No matter what kind of trauma your child has experienced, family therapy is an invaluable tool for helping them heal from their difficult experiences while building healthy connections with those around them. A trained therapist can create an individualized program tailored towards your child’s needs so that they can cope with traumatic events in a positive way that allows for growth into adulthood. By providing your child with this type of professional help now, you are ensuring they will have healthier relationships later in life. If you think trauma and relationships are affecting your child, HillsidesCares can provide the family therapy program they need to heal. Contact us today at 323.641.4842 to learn more about how we can help and to schedule a campus tour.