Treating Traumatized Teens and Emerging Adults in a Global Pandemic
Traumatized adolescents and young adults struggle with self-regulation. They are dysregulated across systems neurologically, cognitively, physically, emotionally, behaviorally, socially and spiritually. Anxious and vigilant and unable to trust themselves or caregivers, they may experience even loving relationships as confusing and frightening. However, in order to learn self-soothing, they must first be able to rely upon others and discover the comfort of co-regulation. They benefit from relationships with adults that provide them with the psychological (and physical) sense of stability and containment they cannot supply themselves.
Their lifelong experience of the world as unpredictable is exacerbated by the fear and uncertainty that the COVID-19 pandemic has brought to us all. To work effectively with these youth, it is crucial for adults to first foster their own capacity for self-awareness and self-regulation. It is not easy, especially now, when adults have also been enduring traumatic stress and losses of their own. It can also be harder to attune to young clients using teletherapy, and their extreme reactions—ranging from angry arousal to frozen shutting down— can trigger a therapist’s own sense of helplessness and overwhelm.
In this webinar, you will learn about Developmental-Relational Therapy (DRT), an attachment-based model of trauma treatment that can be effective for video sessions. You will learn and practice mindful, empathic strategies that help teens feel more secure, connected, present and regulated, even over Zoom. You’ll discover how to get unhooked from old enactments by exploring:
- Specific adolescent attachment styles that interact with or trigger your own
- The React, Reflect, and Respond approach to providing corrective relational experiences
- The Four M’s: mirroring, mentalizing, mindfulness and modulation, to increase connection and mood regulation
- Pathways to healing and resilience in a time of continuous trauma
6 CEs are available.