Tag Archives: therapy

Including parents should be part of effective trauma therapy

August 2nd, 2017

Some mornings as I drive to work, my mind wanders through my family memories. I often wonder if my life is at all like other people’s lives. I always think about my children first and then think of the many families and young people I have supported as they needed it. At times I think about all the kinds of therapy, services, supports and various medications that I have tried out. I think of the binders filled with IEPs, treatment plans, timelines and photos that I have taken to remember it all, and wonder if I remember all the facts. It can be hard with three children. They are all unique and different but share one thing – trauma.

Trauma is now looked at more and more with children (and adults) and there are lots of conversations about new supports, new research and new ideas. I have tried the Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy approach, Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing, sensory diet , Attachment Regulation and Competency and therapy after therapy. And you know how it works best? Including the family, especially the parent.

My child has received therapy in the residential setting and the community but when I have not been taught and included in the treatment, it really hasn’t worked most effectively. Many therapists told me to focus on my trauma and they would focus on my child . The reality has always been that my trauma has already been worked on and the PTSD that I have incurred from going through the ongoing issues with my children has been just as hard. The reality is that the one therapy where I was included resulted in both my son’s greatest gains and his ability to maintain his skills and improve in his journey.

Trauma has turned out to be so common that it is something more and more systems are identifying and seeking better outcomes. Is anyone noticing that when you include the parent, the treatment improves? Are we making sure the skills are taught to the parent so that the approach can be done during home time, day trips, holidays at home and more? Do people see the parent as an investment or a problem? I would love to see more outcomes that look at how including parents helps the child. I absolutely know that improvement for the child is very much tied to the connection to the parent.

An underlying piece of the onion that no one sees and no one wants to understand continues to be the things many parents and caregivers do to make it feel safe for their child. It takes patience, understanding, empathy and sometimes just someone to show that they hear the parent and see them as the expert. It has been the one area in my children’s life that has been a mystery to figure out.

As the brain develops things change, memories change, and behaviors to deal with it change too. My oldest son and I talk now about what memories we have and how we continue to feel lucky to be able to talk about it and how we are going to deal with it. Trauma comes up when you least expect it.

For us the biggest trigger is fire. We remember a house fire that we were in. We are triggered by seeing the burnt house we drive by, a candle burning in a house, smell of smoke, a fire alarm and at times just people lighting a grill. It comes up and each of us deal with it differently. I approach it with a mindful approach, my middle son using the Attachment Regulation and Competency approach and my oldest using the Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy approach. They are all correct and all okay- but without my understanding and embracing what works for them it would not work.

I appreciate being asked about trauma and talking to people about their approaches. It doesn’t go away. It is not the last peel of the onion for us– it is actually near the outside.

My last suggestions are the following:

Include parents in your treatment model- teach them and include them
Ask the parent what has worked and not worked
If a parent asks for assistance to get outside support for trauma, help connect them
Talk about positives that are possible so that parents know it gets better
Remember that it doesn’t matter how large or small – if people use the word trauma LISTEN

Let’s change trauma to something we talk about and help.

Meri Viano is our guest blogger. She is the parent of two sons and a daughter who continue to inspire her blog posts.

Tags: Children's Mental Health, family involvement, parenting, therapy, trauma