How to Seek Counseling for Children With PTSD

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a complex and emotionally difficult problem for children who have survived traumatic events. PTSD can cause flashbacks, sense memories, angry outbursts and a host of problems. The best way to deal with the disorder is to seek help from a licensed professional. Follow these steps to help you seek counseling for children with PTSD.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

1. Consider cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). In this type of therapy, the therapist helps the child come to terms with the trauma, how he remembers it and how he copes with the memories of it. The therapist will work with the child to develop healthy ways of reducing stress associated with painful memories.
2. Work with a therapist who emphasizes exposure therapy. In this type of therapeutic environment, the therapist will help the child recover from PTSD by talking repeatedly about the trauma to help her feel less fear when discussing the painful memories.
3. Choose a therapist who works on desensitizing the child to the trauma by asking him to speak about the most painful parts of the memories until he is desensitized to the pain. This will help the child feel less scared of confronting the truth.
4. Devote some time to speaking with the therapist about possible therapeutic medications to treat PTSD with. The therapist will work in conjunction with a psychiatrist who can create a pscyhopharmaceutical solution to helping the child recover from the trauma. Many times, anti-depressants can help enormously with the sadness and anxiety associated with PTSD.
5. Utilize psychodynamic psychotherapy to help the child understand PTSD. Psychodynamic therapy focuses on helping the child learn the 'triggers' that cause him to lose control and feel most scared and upset when remembering the trauma. It also works to help re-build self-esteem for the child, a crucial building block in recovery from PTSD.