by Elina Falk, MC., RCC What is he trying to do? Helping your child heal by supporting the intention behind the troubling behaviour. Suzie is always trying to get people’s attention. Jonathan is an escape artist and can open any child-proof lock. Peter is as quiet and unobtrusive as possible. On the face of it, it might not seem that these situations have much in common. But in fact, all these children are likely trying to complete their intention to …
Kids, Complex Trauma, and Medication – The Great Debate Continued. by Chuck Geddes, Ph.D. This post will offer some thoughts on the use of psychotropic medications for children and youth with complex trauma histories. This post is a follow-up on my previous post on this topic https://www.complextrauma.ca/complex-trauma-medications/. I’ve had a chance to speak to some child psychiatrists and I have also been learning from a webinar series on Psychopharmacology and Trauma hosted by Dr. Bruce Perry and the Child Trauma Academy. …
This lengthy manual will introduce any laymen to techniques in working with a variety of issues that surround children/youth that struggle with complex trauma.
Complex Trauma and Assessment by Dr. Chuck Geddes We received a referral last month for a young 10 yr old boy. (We’ll call him David although that isn’t his real name.) David was referred for help because none of the existing services were making a difference with his extreme behaviour. David had recently been suspended from school for the 4th time in the first 4 weeks of school. He was seen to be having regular “meltdowns” in which he would …
What’s in a Name? Lionel was moody in recent weeks. His parents noticed that he appeared to be more withdrawn at home and spent more time in his room. When they inquired at the school, teachers mentioned that the other kids had been picking on Lionel because it was “different”. Not knowing how to deal with the other kids, he was spending more time by himself at recess and not engaging with other kids. Names. They help to identify us. …
Fourteen-year old Malia is a male of Caucasian and Somalian descent who has lived with his foster family for the past 4 years. Prior to moving in with his foster family, Malia lived with his biological Muslim family until he was 10 years old. His foster mother Angela came to me asking for help on how to help him to feel “like he really belonged in their family”. She said despite having lived with them for so many years and …
This article analyzes how early childhood experiences shape a child. This article highlights how traumatic experiences and neglect impact on the neurobiology of the developing brain and the integration of the 6 core strengths towards healing.
This article focuses on key insights that staff members working with traumatised children in various settings might find useful. He address’ three components to help ensure that staff provide the essential context these children need to heal and get back on the appropriate developmental path.