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Many children and adults experience trauma. Some traumas are the most obvious such as earthquake, fire, car accidents, and abuse and can be referred to as "Big T" traumas. Others are less so, but may still have a large effect on how someone lives day to day life. These "smaller" traumas include interpersonal conflicts, loss of a pet, moving to a new home or community, or even disciplinary action by a teacher or boss and can be referred to as "Little T" traumas.
Adults often view these "Little T" events as something that can easily be resolved with time. Often they can. But some children, and even some adults, do not bounce back quickly and seem to perseverate over the event. Parents or friends can be clueless as to how to deal with this, because they've been able to rationalize that the event happened, is over, and now everything is ok. Some people are emotional beings. When they experience an event that is traumatizing to them, it is hard to see the bigger picture and view anything beyond that particular point in time. The reaction to the trauma will often become the reaction to anything that triggers a memory of the trauma. Triggers can come from a smell, a taste, a sound, a touch, a visual cue, or even a set of seemingly innocuous circumstances.
In my practice, I utilize EMDR, play and art therapy techniques, as well as, traditional talk therapy to guide children and adults to resolution. I have worked with children as young as 2 years of age through adulthood. If you or your child have experienced a trauma or seem to be having difficulty "getting over" an experience, call me for a free phone consutation to see if I am the right therapist for you.
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