Trauma
What is trauma?
A scary, violent, or confusing event that happens to a person
When you feel really mad
Anger
Coping skill to distract
What are drawing, reading, playing video games, playing with toys, watching TV or videos, or playing sports?
What happens to our rational and emotional brain when we are triggered or experience an intense emotion?
They may not communicate and we can act on our emotions without thinking.
What is therapy?
A place you go to talk about things, learn skills to deal with events, and learn more about yourself
What is avoidance?
Not wanting to think or talk about what happened.
When you feel really down and want to cry
Sadness
A coping skill where you move your body to help feel better
What are sports, exercise, or yoga?
True or False: When our thinking brain and emotional brain cannot communicate, we are more likely to use our coping skills.
False
What can therapy help you with?
Feeling less afraid, talking about bad things that have happened, helping sleep, feeling happier, and feeling less angry
When you are able to relax and feel good with the people around you
Calm or safe
A coping skill that uses your lungs to calm down
What is deep breathing?
What is fight, flight, or freeze?
It is the survival mode our brain goes into when we are faced with danger. When we experience trauma we go into survival mode more often.
True or False: Something has to be wrong with you to go to therapy.
False
How does trauma make people think differently?
When you feel worried or nervous
Anxiety
A coping skill where you focus on being in the present moment.
What is meditation or mindfulness?
True or False: Trauma can make it hard for us to solve problems, focus, and it can change the way our brain works
True
What is confidentiality? When is it broken?
What's said in therapy stays in therapy. The only exceptions are when there is a threat of harm to yourself, someone else, or you're talking about abuse/neglect that hasn't already been reported.
How many kids experience at least 1 traumatic event before 18?
66%
(will accept anything between 50-75%)
When you feel bright and joyful.
Happy
A coping skill where you tense your body and let it go to help relax your muscles
What is progressive muscle relaxation?
What can we do when we are triggered or experiencing an intense emotion and our thinking brain and emotional brain cannot communicate?
Talk to a safe adult, take deep breaths, use coping skills
What should I tell my therapist?
Your therapist is there to help you process difficult emotions/memories/experiences etc. Your therapist will usually help guide the session, but if there's something you want to tell them, then do it!