Going to Therapy
A person who listens, talks to you, offers support, and teaches skills about thoughts, feelings, what is going on in your life, and hard things that you have experienced
What is a therapist/counselor
3 examples of traumatic events
What are car accidents, natural disasters, physical abuse, sexual abuse, emotional abuse, neglect, witnessing violence at home, witnessing violence in the community (and more)?
Ways people might ACT even a long time after a traumatic event has happened to them
What is avoid thinking about the traumatic event, avoid places that remind of the traumatic event, act out at home or school, not feel motivated to do anything, have trouble concentrating, have trouble doing well in school, withdraw from people, have trouble making friends (and more)?
An interaction between a child (or anybody who is too young to consent) and an adult or another child involving looking at, showing, or touching private parts.
What is sexual abuse
Things you do in therapy
What is talking about your thoughts and feelings, talking about hard stuff that has happened, learning skills to help you feel better, play games, learning more about things that have happened to you (and more)?
Things your body does when you are in danger
What is heart beating fast, feeling hot or sweaty, feeling like you have a lot of energy in your body, startling easily, hypervigilance (being on the lookout for danger), freezing up/spacing out (and more)?
Reasons that people might have really strong reactions when they're reminded of a traumatic event that happens
What is: their body feels like it is in danger so it is trying to protect them, in some ways it might feel like the thing is happening all over again, their brain and body knows that talking about it might bring up some really uncomfortable/painful feelings or thoughts
Reasons kids or teens don't tell a safe adult that they've experienced sexual or physical abuse
What is: they think people might not believe them, the person abusing them threatens that they will be in danger if they tell, they do not want the people involved in the abuse to get in trouble, they are not sure if what is happening is wrong, they do not have adults in their life that they trust (and more reasons)
Length of time that kids or teens are in therapy
What is it depends! Usually somewhere between a few months to a year or more (it depends how much better a client is doing & what the family and therapist want)
A condition or DIAGNOSIS when, after someone experiences one or more traumatic event(s), they continue to feel affected by the event for months or years after it happen. It affects the way that they feel and act.
Posttraumatic Stress Disorder
*not everyone who is affected by a traumatic event has this disorder! it looks different for everyone.
Negative THOUGHTS that people might have even awhile after a traumatic event has happened to them?
What is: "The whole world is dangerous" or "everywhere I go isn't safe." "I can't trust anyone." "It was my fault." "I am never going to feel better." Think about what happened even though they don't want to.
Person who is responsible for physical or sexual abuse happening
What is: it is ALWAYS the fault of the adult or older kid who made it happen and NEVER the fault of the person it happens to (no matter what they did before or after it happened)
Reasons kids or teens would need or want to go to therapy
What is experiencing an upsetting event; having feelings, thoughts, or behaviors that are making it hard to do things; feeling depressed or anxious (and more examples)?
Ways that people could FEEL even a long time after a traumatic event has happen
What is scared, sad, depressed, angry, numb (and more)?
Reasons why talking about trauma in therapy can be helpful
What is: when you talk about hard things your brain and body learns that YOU are in charge, your brain and body learn that you are actually safe even when you talk about a hard thing that happened in the past, you can learn ways to help think and feel differently so that you feel better, once you understand and know you can talk about trauma you feel better and more powerful! and more
Types of kids or teens who experience sexual or physical abuse
What is: ALL kinds of kids and teens - different genders, ages, races, socioeconomic statuses.
For example, some type of sexual abuse happens to about 1 in 5 girls and 1 in 8 boys - probably more than this, since many cases don't even get reported!
The only reasons a therapist would ever share what you talk about in therapy with other people
What is (1) when a therapist learns that a kid under 18 has been abused or neglected and (2) when someone is at risk of hurting themselves or other people?
Reasons why someone would want to avoid thinking about or being around things that remind them of their traumatic events
What is: being reminded of the trauma is uncomfortable and makes them feel overwhelmed or worse; avoiding things that remind someone of their trauma makes it easier to function day-to-day without feeling bad (and more reasons)
Reasons that AVOIDING thinking or talking about traumatic events does NOT always work well
What is: you still might get reminded of the traumatic event when you don't want to and have it bother you, avoiding it makes your brain and body think it must be an EXTRA big deal, you still experience other tough thoughts, feelings, and problems
People kids, teens, or adults could talk to about experiences of physical or sexual abuse
What is: a safe adult like a parent or caregiver, teacher, counselor or therapist, other trusted adult family member (and more)?