Child Advocates Discuss Supporting Children After Trauma

Child advocates said children who survive such horrific things often need medical, mental, and emotional support.

Experts said often the first step to healing is getting kids the help they need.

Child psychologists said you want a therapist who has studied and understands trauma, is aware of its impacts, and the many ways it's manifested.

There's no perfect plan for taking on trauma, but child psychologists said doing nothing should never be an option.

"It may look different in a child over here, and this child it may look very different for them too,” said Courtney Crandall, Clinical Supervisor at Family & Children's Services.

Courtney Crandall said there are signs of struggle you can spot.

"Start to see some of those behavioral issues, you start to see it impacting relationships, their own personal presentation, so they may become more avoidant or more fearful of things than they have,” said Crandall. "Disabilities. Physical disabilities can result...sensory processing can also be a big one."

There are many treatment options.

"With trauma, evidence-based practices trauma trained specific clinicians... trauma focused cognitive behavioral therapy. We also utilize like EMDRI, movement desensitization reprocessing treatment, parent child interaction therapy, and parent child psychotherapy,” said Crandall.

Crandall said sometimes they use art as an intervention.

"It's critical because it's cathartic, you know, it's one of the earlier things that we learn to do and through that we learn to draw out whatever we're feeling, thinking, what we've experienced or what are hopes are for life,” said Crandall.

And she said there's power in play.

"It is really helping the child get to a place where they have that self-awareness and that they can leave here feeling better about themselves,” Crandall.

Family and Children's Services has a child abuse and trauma program and said COPES is another great resource for families.