Trauma affects a person's mind and body, sometimes for years after the traumatic event. Fortunately, there is hope for trauma survivors. Psychological trauma treatment can help people regain their autonomy and restore their mental health after traumatic events. Young trauma patients may need special types of counseling that are sensitive to their needs. Here are four things that counselors can do for teens enrolled in trauma treatment programs:

1. Validate teens' emotions.

Teenagers are often the owners of big emotions. This can be especially true for teens who have undergone trauma. Unfortunately, many people have a tendency to invalidate teens' feelings, especially if they deem those feelings to be outsized or irrational. Trauma patients need to feel heard and understood in order to heal. That's why counselors at trauma treatment programs for teens will strive to validate teens' emotions through techniques like active listening and word echoing. Through their participation in the program, teenagers will learn to honor their feelings instead of simply trying to ignore or minimize them.

2. Model healthy forms of communication.

All feelings are valid and true, but there are better and worse ways to communicate those feelings. Teenagers who have undergone trauma sometimes struggle to express themselves in positive, healthy ways. Instead, they may resort to lashing out in anger or displaying inappropriate behaviors. Counselors at trauma treatment programs for teens both teach and model healthy forms of communication. This can help teenagers learn to communicate their emotions and needs in assertive but respectful ways.

3. Help patients get in touch with their bodies.

Trauma can sometimes cause people to feel disconnected from their bodies, especially if the trauma was physical or sexual in nature. Basic movement practices, such as yoga, can encourage teenagers to get back in touch with their physical selves. Yoga classes offered as part of a trauma treatment program are trauma-aware, which means they place emphasis on bodily autonomy and consent. As counselors encourage teenagers to stretch and move through various poses, they will ask permission before offering advice or adjustments in order to make teens feel safe.

4. Offer medical treatments when appropriate.

Talk therapy is an effective way to deal with many mental health conditions, including those that arise from trauma. However, sometimes talk therapy alone is not sufficient. In some cases, medical treatments may be appropriate. These treatments can include medication for depression and anxiety. Medication can relieve the symptoms of severe PTSD to make it possible for teenagers to work on their issues more constructively in therapy.  

For more information, contact a local clinic like LifeLine For Youth.