TraumaPlay™ is a specialized therapy offered at Mindful Connections Counseling. Rosanna Worthington, LCSW, is close to completing a year-long certification process to become a TraumaPlay™ Certified Therapist. Rosanna looks forward to learning more about your child and family to determine if TraumaPlay™ is a good therapeutic fit.
What is TraumaPlay™?
TraumaPlay™ is a kid- and teen-friendly intervention designed to support families who are experiencing trauma. TraumaPlay™ combines several evidenced-based therapies into a playful, nurturing, and hopeful approach that helps children regain a sense of safety, manage their strong feelings, process “the hard thing that happened”, and recognize their resilience.
What is trauma?
Trauma, loosely defined, is a potential psychological response to a distressing event or series of events, such as the death of a loved one, abuse, neglect, domestic violence, natural disaster, car accident, and medical emergency. Children experiencing trauma feel overwhelmed, out of control, and unable to access their typical coping skills. A child’s vulnerability to trauma depends on a variety of risk and protective factors, including her temperament and level of social support. Most children who experience challenging events can move forward with the support of their families and communities. Other children become “stuck” – in anxiety, depression, and difficult behaviors – and benefit from the support of a skilled and compassionate therapist in finding resilience.
How does TraumaPlay™ work?
TraumaPlay™, developed by Paris Goodyear-Brown, LCSW, focuses on seven goals:
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Enhancing Safety and Security |
“My world came crashing down and I was lost and scared. Now I feel safe again” |
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Assessing and Augmenting Coping |
“I know how to handle my difficult feelings” |
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Soothing the Physiology |
“I can calm my body down when I’m overwhelmed” |
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Increasing Emotional Literacy |
“I can name my feelings and talk about them with trusted adults” |
|
Play-Based Gradual Exposure |
“I can tell a story about the hard thing that happened to me without feeling overwhelmed” |
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Addressing the Thought Life |
“I know it wasn’t my fault” |
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Making Meaning of the Post-Trauma Self |
“I am strong. I can rely on my family. We can do hard things together” |
To achieve these goals, TraumaPlay™ draws on well-respected interventions, such as:
Child-Centered Play Therapy
Expressive arts
Sand tray therapy
Theraplay
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
TraumaPlay™ therapists help children regain a sense of control by following their pace, moving flexibly between the goals, and honoring their intrinsic strength and wisdom.
What is the role of parents in therapy?
TraumaPlay™ is unique in that it honors parents and caregivers as invaluable partners in a child’s healing journey. Respecting that secure attachment is the foundation of a child’s mental health, TraumaPlay™ provides practical tools for parents to rekindle the joy in their relationship with their child and to manage difficult behaviors at home through connection and structure. Parents are invited into their child’s therapy sessions and to their own parent coaching sessions to learn how to be Safe Bosses, Nurturers, and Storytellers.
Is TraumaPlay™ right for my family?
TraumaPlay™ can bring balance and healing to children who:
- Experienced a life-altering event (fire, car accident, medical emergency, death, etc.) or a chronic stressor (abuse, neglect, domestic violence, foster care/adoption, ongoing medical condition, etc.)
- Is demonstrating anxiety, preoccupation with the traumatic event, and/or avoidance of reminders of the traumatic event
- Is demonstrating difficult behaviors at home and/or school, such as defiance, tantruming, and school refusal
- Is depressed, shut-down, and isolated from friends and family
Please contact Rosanna at rosie@mindfulconnectionstx.com for more information.
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