These responses are normal, however if they continue over a period of months then support may be helpful. When children or young people have experienced repeated trauma over a period of time their responses may look very different, this may be referred to as ‘complex trauma’. Post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) describes the impact of trauma when it continues for a long time and significantly affects functioning.
Different events are traumatic for different people. Examples of situations which people may find traumatic include:
Traumatic stress can occur when an individual is exposed to events that are outside the usual range of daily experience that can be intense, emotionally painful, and distressing.
According to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, there are specific criteria for what qualifies as a traumatic event:
"Exposure to actual or threatened death, serious injury, or sexual violence in one (or more) of the following ways:
If trauma occurred at a young age then it is possible that the child or young person does not have a clear memory of the original trauma, however they may still experience effects from the trauma, and these effects can be magnified as it disrupts their development.
At HSR Psychology we ensure that we meet the needs of children and young people. To achieve this we ensure that any specific assessments, intervention, or direct work, is only carried out following an initial discussion.
An initial discussion allows us to understand the background and your expectations of our involvement. Having an initial discussion ensures any services we provide appropriately identify or address needs.
Our process for any specific assessments, intervention, or direct work is as follows:
The effects of trauma can be assessed through the following ways:
Observations within different settings are often used to see behaviours which may be related to the trauma that the child is showing.
Examining previous professional reports and taking an in depth developmental history helps to create a more complete picture of the trauma and its effects over time.
An interview with the young individuals and their parents or carers provides insight in relation to how individuals believe their trauma has impacted them.
Psychometric measures may include questionnaires that are aimed at gaining information on and measuring experiences as well as any symptoms currently being experienced.
Assessing the effects of trauma is done in the variety of methods mentioned above. Examples of the psychometric measures of experiences and symptoms we may use include:
When assessing a child or young person who has experienced trauma we will take all precautions to reduce any distress which may be felt through thinking about specific individuals or situations. As much information as possible should be provided during the Initial Discussion to support the child or young person appropriately.
We provide a range of psychological interventions for trauma. Interventions will be chosen according to the needs identified, the nature of the trauma and the developmental age of the child or young person. Interventions will usually include parents or carers.
Arrange an Initial Discussion to find out how we can help. The initial discussion lasts 1-1.5 hours, comes with a written recommendation summary and is a starting point to identify needs. The cost is £260.
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£260
Once again thank you for all your help and for actually listening to me when others wouldn’t.
Jodie (Parent)
Thank you Julie once again for the excellent report, it captured the child’s needs entirely - SENDIASS, parents and me commented on how well written it was. Many thanks for your continued assistance.
SENCO
Sarah Ward was brilliant with us. Really happy with the help and support, would recommend.
Joanne (Parent)
I think the work you have been doing has been great to help break the stigma of mental health and as a fellow sufferer I know how important that is.
Mental health professional
Many thanks for Sarah W’s hard work with our students which has been very well received.
Deputy Head
Really enjoyed it and learnt lots that I can take back to school. Thank you for the quality experience.
Sarah Tindal
Thank you Julie once again for the excellent report, it captured the child’s needs entirely - SENDIASS, parents and me commented on how well written it was. Many thanks for your continued assistance.
SENCO
We provide bespoke solutions to suit all budgets and requirements for children and young people aged 0-25 in homes, education settings and the community. Our clinical, educational and child psychology services are cost effective.
To make a referral and arrange an initial discussion please complete our referral form.
Ready to get started? The next step is to speak to our team to find out more about the services we provide and how we can help. Call us on 0161 820 9229 or email office@hsrpsychology.co.uk
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