Trauma Through a Child's Eyes: Awakening the Ordinary Miracle of Healing

by Levine, Peter A.; Kline, Maggie

• ISBN13: 9781556436307
• ISBN10: 1556436300
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2006-12-26
• Publisher: North Atlantic Books
• More Book Details

Summary

Peter Levine's work in trauma is grounded in medical biophysics, psychophysiology and psychology, as well as his own innovative research into the instinctual behaviour of wild animals. Over the past 35 years, he has developed and refined a method called Somatic Experiencing (SE), which provides the foundation for this guide to dealing with trauma in children. At the core of this book is the understanding that trauma begets violence, and violence begets trauma. The effects of trauma can result not only from catastrophic events such as abuse and violence but from everyday, common incidents such as minor auto accidents, routine medical procedures, family stresses, even something as seemingly innocent as falling off a bicycle. Trauma Through a Child's Eyes offers a hopeful alternative to children acting "in" (on themselves) or "out" (on others) in response to pain and injury. Most children possess an innate natural resiliency, and Levine explains how adults can help them tap into and strengthen that resiliency to resolve the effects of trauma and cope successfully with future harmful situations.

Author Biography

Dr. Peter A. Levine, author of the best-selling Waking the Tiger and of Healing Trauma, has a background in medical biophysics, stress, and psychology. He developed Somatic Experiencing®, and serves as a consultant to the Meadows, a leading residential addiction recovery center. He lives on the banks of the St. Vrain River in the Rocky Mountains.

Maggie Kline, MS, MFT, has more than thirty years of experience as a teacher, family and child therapist, school psychologist, and parent. She is a senior faculty member for Dr. Levine’s Professional Training Program and resides by the sea in southern California with her therapy dog, Beijo.

Table of Contents

Foreword, by Gabor Maté, MD	xvii
Introduction	xxi
Overview of This Book	xxv
PART I: UNDERSTANDING TRAUMA	1
Chapter One: What Is Trauma? A Working Definition	3
Trauma Is in the Nervous System—Not in the Event!	4
The Reason Our Bodies Don't Forget: What Brain Research Has Taught Us	9
Chapter Two: Trauma's Scope—Sources Ranging from the Ordinary to the Extraordinary	17
Common Causes of Childhood Trauma	18
The Shocking Prevalence of Family and Community Violence	27
A Word about Prenates, Infants, and Toddlers	34
When the Source of Trauma Remains a Mystery	37
Chapter Three: Signs and Symptoms of Trauma in Children	39
Universal Symptoms of Trauma	40
Recognizing Symptoms in the Very Young: Infants to Preschool-Age Children	43
Recognizing Symptoms in School-Aged Children	55
Symptoms of Trauma During Adolescence	60
Delayed Traumatic Reactions	67
Sexual Trauma Symptoms	69
Understanding Why Some Children Have Trauma Symptoms and Others Do Not	71
When Symptoms Persist: Understanding How Trauma Affects a Child's Brain	73
Clusters of Secondary Trauma Symptoms: A Summary	74
Conclusion	80
PART II: GENERAL GUIDE FOR PREVENTING CHILDHOOD TRAUMA	82
Chapter Four: Emotional First Aid or How to Be a "Good Band-Aid"	83
Giving Appropriate Support to an Overwhelmed Child	84
The Triune Brain Simplified	86
Getting Acquainted with Your Own Sensations	88
Attuning to Your Child's Rhythms, Sensations, and Emotions	96
First Aid for Trauma Prevention: A Step-by-Step Guide	101
Courting the Reptilian Brain: Language Skills	105
It Doesn't Have to Hurt Forever	109
Sensations and Emotions Are Not the Same!	112
Tending to Emotional Needs by Following the Children's Lead	115
Helping Your Traumatized Child Through Play	120
Conclusion	131
Chapter Five: Sensations, Images, and Feelings: Using Animal Imagery and Rhymes to "Resource," Empower, and Transform Trauma Symptoms	133
What Are "Resources" and Where Do They Come From?	133
Using Rhymes and Stories to Prevent and Heal Trauma	139
Conclusion	155
PART III: WORKBOOK FOR COMMONLY OCCURRING SITUATIONS	157
Chapter Six: First Aid for Accidents and Falls	159
First Aid for Accidents and Falls: Basic Guidelines	160
The Power of Language to Soothe and Heal	165
Addressing the Emotions Through Listening and Storytelling	168
Working with Accidents and Falls When Symptoms Are Present	176
Using Music to Heal Trauma	180
Summary	181
Chapter Seven: Prevention Tools for Parents and Health Professionals	183
The Importance of Preparation When Medical Procedures Are Necessary	183
Guidelines When Preparing a Child for Surgery or Other Medical Procedures	187
Elective Surgeries	195
Sensitivity to Children's Pain	196
Chapter Eight: Divorce, Death, and Separation-Helping Children Grieve Their Losses	203
Distinguishing Emotions	203
Two Views of Divorce: Rosy or Dark?	207
Conclusion	220
Helping Your Child Grieve	221
Chapter Nine: Preventing and Healing the Sacred Wound of Sexual Molestation	239
Safeguarding Children Against the Wound of Sexual Trauma	240
Steps Caregivers Can Take to Decrease Children's Susceptibility	243
The Little-Discussed Emotion of Disgust	257
The Frequently Overlooked Repercussions of Sexual Abuse before Puberty	259
Echoes into the Next Generation: Transforming the Legacy	264
PART IV: TOWARDS A HUMANISTIC VIEW OF TRAUMA	271
Introduction: Hope for the Future Through Prevention and Societal Change	273
Chapter Ten: On Coming into the World: Birthing and Babies	275
A Content Mother-to-Be Provides an Ideal Womb	276
Prenates and Babies Are Sentient, Conscious Beings	280
Honoring the Miracle of Birth	285
Birth on Schedule: Induction and Cesarean	289
The First Three Months	296
What All Babies Need for Healthy Development	307
The Wondrous World of Babies	315
Chapter Eleven: Removing the Barriers to Learning and Self-Control in the Twenty-first-Century Classroom	323
Our Misunderstood Students	325
Avoiding and Recognizing a Misdiagnosis: Is It Autism or Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder?	354
Anger in the Schools	360
Violence in Our Schools	368
Grief Groups for Children in the School Setting	373
Recommendations for Teachers	377
Activities for Teachers and Counselors: More Tools for the Classroom	389
Physical Activities and Games that Foster Healthy Defensive Responses, Boundary Setting, and Group Cohesiveness	396
Balancing Activities that Resore Protective Reflexes, Confidence, and Resilience	406
Conclusion	410
Chapter Twelve: Responding to Natural and Man-Made Disasters: Crisis Intervention at School and Beyond	413
First, Do No Harm!	414
An Alternative Approach to Crisis Intervention	417
Restoring the Resilience of School Children After Disasters: More Lessons from Thailand	423
Our New Reality	428
Epilogue or Epitaph?	436
Chapter Thirteen: Transforming Medical Care for the Future: A Plan To Minimize Pediatric Trauma	441
Peter's Story	441
The Current State of Affairs in the Health Care Industry	444
A Vision of Alternative and Integrative Medicine for the Twenty-first Century	445
Summary	456
APPENDIX	459
First Aid for Accidents and Falls: A Quick Reference Guide	461
Worksheet For Listing Symptoms	463
Notes	465
Bibliography	483
Index	495
About the Authors	507