"Childhood abuse is as common as cancer - but the effort to prevent it, to do something about it, as opposed to cancer, is minimal." Bessel van der Kolk

Relatively few resources are devoted to helping abused children recover from the psychological damage they have suffered. As a result, many survivors continue to suffer from the effects of their trauma through depression, substance abuse, eating disorders, etc. in their adult lives.

In this two-part video series, Dr. van der Kolk and his colleagues at The Trauma Center, along with therapists Joyanna Silberg and Frances Waters, describe the assessment tools and therapeutic approaches that they have found most useful in working with severely traumatized children.

The clinician's role in such cases often includes working with parents or guardians as well as children, and can extend far beyond the therapy room to encompass psychoeducation and advocacy. Children who have been removed from the home often bounce from one foster or group home to another, suffering retraumatization with each new placement. Therapists may need to work with the multiple systems involved in the child's life in order to establish the safety and stability needed before healing can occur.

COMPLEX PTSD IN CHILDREN I: Etiology, Assessment, Advocacy
Before they can be treated, abused children need to be identified. The presenters describe the range of symptoms with which a traumatized child may present, and explain the ways in which a trauma assessment differs from a general mental health assessment. Topics include developmentally appropriate behavior, differential diagnoses, parental trauma history, and the importance of early intervention. 41 minutes

COMPLEX PTSD IN CHILDREN II: Therapeutic Interventions
For children with complex PTSD, safety needs to be established both externally and internally. Maintaining internal safety can be an especially difficult task when the child is highly dissociative. The presenters discuss grounding techniques that can help a child to stay safe and stable, and describe the therapeutic modalities-play, talk, art, and group therapy-that they have found useful. Topics include controlling aggression, accessing emotions, changing the trauma story, and using EMDR. 43 minutes

*Includes Guide