Trauma Therapy for Children: Types, Techniques, and How It Works

Every child deserves to grow up in a safe and nurturing environment—but life doesn’t always turn out as we hope. Many children face traumatic experiences or living situations that dramatically impact their mental—and sometimes physical—well-being, and can lead to disorders like post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or complex PTSD (CPTSD). Trauma can stem from one tragic accident or loss or be caused by a long period of abuse, neglect or any other prolonged traumatic situation. Trauma often casts a long shadow over a child’s life that is best served with thoughtful trauma therapy provided by a skilled mental health professional. 

If your child has experienced trauma, they’re not alone. According to the National Child Traumatic Stress Network, 25% of American schoolchildren will experience at least one traumatic event by the age of 16. Mental health professionals are trained to help children understand and process their trauma.

Trauma therapy comes in a number of forms, including those like trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy (TF-CBT), cognitive processing therapy (CPT), and eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR). These therapies provide a safe, confidential space for your child to express whatever they’re feeling, and help fill their emotional toolbox with effective coping mechanisms. Learning helpful coping skills in the context of a safe relationship paves a path for recovery, resilience, and growth. 

What Is Trauma Therapy?

Trauma can be deeply distressing, disturbing, destabilizing, and incredibly difficult to make sense of without outside assistance—especially for children who may not understand their own emotions. 

Trauma therapy is designed to help people—including children—recover by processing traumatic events and developing resiliency in the context of a safe, supportive relationship. Mental health professionals root trauma-focused therapy in principles of compassion, safety, and empowerment. Sessions may center around the following principles:

• Safety: Therapists establish a secure, nonjudgmental place where children can express their feelings and confront their trauma. 

• Empowerment: Trauma can affect your kid’s sense of control over their life and emotions. Therapy empowers them with coping mechanisms and emotional understanding that lets them take back control over their own experience of the world. 

• Trust: While it may take a while for therapists to build trust with your child, this process is an important part of therapeutic healing. Trust between a therapist and their client fosters openness and honesty—essential elements of recovery. 

• Processing: In therapy, children may discuss the traumatic experiences in order to process their memories, emotions, reactions, and help prevent the experiences from negatively impacting them. 

While many therapeutic modalities can address traumatic experiences, trauma-informed therapy is designed to address trauma’s unique complications. This is especially evident through the strong focus on a safe, supportive environment, which is particularly useful for children who have experienced trauma and thus might have a number of emotional triggers. 

When looking for a trauma therapy provider, look for a licensed pediatric therapist who is trained in trauma-informed care. This means they understand the specific needs and sensitivities of children who have experienced trauma. 

How Can Trauma Therapy Help With PTSD?

Ultimately, trauma therapy aims to support your child in safely processing and making sense of the traumatic event, and reducing the many responses that can be typical of PTSD. These might include flashbacks, nightmares, or being easily startled, all of which can impact a child’s well-being and quality of life. 

The therapist will also work with your child to develop healthier coping mechanisms to manage the triggers associated with their unique trauma. This might include everything from meditation and breathwork to exercise and art. 

What Happens in Trauma Therapy?

While the individual modalities, like CBT, DBT, and EMDR, may have different approaches, there are a few general steps you can expect during trauma therapy:

• Assessment The therapist will assess the trauma’s nature and severity and understand the specific symptoms your child experiences.

• Trust-building The first stages of therapy involve building trust between the therapist and your child, which helps any interventions be more effective.

• Treatment planning A personalized treatment plan will include goals and strategies designed to help decrease the symptoms of your child’s trauma.

• Evidence-based interventions These strategies vary depending on the approach but are all designed to help your child safely process the trauma.

• Monitoring Regular check-ins and ongoing monitoring will help determine if your child is newly triggered or struggling to implement the strategies they have been practicing with the therapist. 

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Different Types of Trauma Therapy

There’s no one-size-fits-all approach to trauma therapy. Depending on their specific traumatic experiences and unique needs and preferences, different children may respond better to different approaches, or therapeutic modalities.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)

CBT is an incredibly common therapeutic approach used for everything from trauma to anxiety and depression. This modality is common because it is incredibly effective—in fact, it’s one of the most studied forms of therapy. Generally, CBT lasts for a defined period of time, generally between 12 and 20 weeks, although your child’s specific treatment schedule may vary.

The goal of CBT is to help people recognize and reframe unhelpful beliefs that commonly emerge after experiencing traumatic events. For instance, it is common for children to believe that it is in some way their own fault that the traumatic incident happened. CBT helps children evaluate and replace unhelpful and inaccurate thought patterns like these that can contribute to long-last symptoms with more accurate and helpful ways of understanding what happened.

Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)

DBT was originally designed to treat borderline personality disorder, but has since been adapted to address a number of conditions, including PTSD. One of the primary differences between DBT and CBT is a greater focus on acceptance and change within DBT, as well as a greater focus on skills to help youth manage painful and overwhelming emotions. This may include a greater emphasis on tools like mindfulness, emotional regulation, and distress tolerance. DBT skills are often taught in the context of a group, which can allow your child to interact with others who are building similar skills. 

Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT)

CPT was specifically developed to address PTSD. It generally consists of 12 focused sessions, and often involves more directly addressing a person’s beliefs and understanding about their trauma. CPT has been studied extensively in people with PTSD, with one study finding that only 22.5% of patients still experienced PTSD symptoms five to 10 years after therapy. 

Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)

EMDR is a unique type of therapy designed to help process traumatic memories through bilateral stimulation—a stimulus (like eye movement or tapping) that alternates between the left and right side of the body. Evidence shows that EMDR can effectively reduce the impact of trauma.

In your child’s EMDR session, the therapist might guide them to use these bilateral stimulation methods while they process their traumatic experiences. This provides regular exposure to the source of the trauma, which can help confront and process distressing memories quite quickly, in only six to 12 sessions.

Specialized Trauma Therapy for Children

While your child’s therapy will likely use one of the above methodologies for their treatment, there are a number of unique needs and considerations for kids. For instance, their developmental stage must be taken into consideration, with therapies that are age-appropriate and engaging. Additionally, younger kids may find it more difficult to articulate their feelings and experiences, making tools like art and music therapy incredibly useful. And parents will likely be more involved in treatment, especially for younger children, to ensure a holistic approach to healing both in session and at home.

Play therapy can also be a powerful tool for your child’s recovery from trauma. This type of therapy helps children express their fears, anxieties, and confusion via toys, games, and other creative materials. This type of therapy is often non-directive, with the therapist observing and interpreting the child’s play, but not directing the specific activities. Even outside the context of formal play therapy, child therapists will often integrate play into whatever modality they are using to treat your child, as this is a helpful way for children to talk about their experiences. 

How to Choose a Trauma Therapist for Your Child

Selecting the best trauma therapist for your child’s experiences and needs is an essential step of the healing journey. Here’s what to look for when evaluating mental health professionals.

Are they credentialed? 

Credentials vary by state, but make sure your therapist is licensed by your state’s regulatory body. You may look for licensed clinical social workers (LCSWs), licensed professional counselors (LPCs), licensed mental health counselors (LMHCs), or a clinical psychologist (Ph.D or PsyD). 

Do they have relevant experience?

Look for a therapist who has experience with pediatric trauma-focused therapy, and who has trained in their specific modality. Experienced and trained therapists can better understand and address the unique needs of youth who have experienced trauma. 

Is their location convenient? 

While many therapies can be performed online, if you opt for an in-person counselor, ensure that their location is convenient for you and your child. Barriers to accessibility can lead to inconsistent and thus ineffective treatment. 

Are they accepted by your insurance? 

Check if your chosen therapist accepts your insurance plan. If they don’t, are their fees affordable? Therapy can be expensive when paying out of pocket.

Are they culturally competent? 

It is important that your child’s therapy understands or is open to learning about the cultural identity of your child. As your child enters care with a provider, make sure to pay attention to the rapport developing between your child and their therapist. Trust your instincts: Does your child feel comfortable and supported? Or are they closed off? Keep in mind that it may take time for your child to feel comfortable with a new therapist, especially if they have experienced trauma.

Helping children recover from traumatic events can be stressful and overwhelming for parents. It can be helpful and reassuring for parents to remind themselves that children are incredibly resilient, and can recover from even the most painful of traumatic events. An experienced therapist will help your child with that process. 

If you need further support or assistance in helping a child who has experienced trauma, don’t hesitate to reach out for a free consultation from a licensed Handspring Health therapist today. 

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