Happy Monday, OOTers! Here is another Monday "working with trauma" post. I have decided to make this a theme because I have come to realize that trauma among youth is at the root of a lot mental health issues that often get misdiagnosed. My goal is to not only create awareness but to also give quick and easily digestible posts to promote better understanding of trauma's affects and a little about how to deal with it. I hope you all find this useful. Now on to today's post.
It was previously believed that the brain was done developing by age 6. However, neuroscience has made it very clear that the adolescent brain continues to develop, thereby providing a window of opportunity for healing. The youth’s experiences during this window of time play an important role towards influencing their paths as adults. To heal, youth need positive development opportunities to build and practice resiliency as well as to acquire knowledge through beneficial, meaningful activities.
Tips for healing:
• Be sure to give youth information and resources necessary to fuel their passion and sense of purpose. Some examples of resources could be art supplies or sporting goods items as well as the means to attend classes or events related to their interests.
• Engage youth in discussion of their strengths, ambitions and passions. Assist with clarifying what those are for the youth.
• Make sure that youth are offered opportunities to connect with families, communities and other important relationships.
• Internal and external assets are important for youth to thrive. Focus on both.