WORKING WITH CHILDHOOD TRAUMA: THE TRAUMAPLAY MODEL

Abstract

Most children experience stressful life events while growing up which may compromise emotional and physical development and may have long-term effects on their mental health. These negative experiences include, but are not limited to maltreatment, growing up in a chaotic family environment, domestic violence, loss, natural disasters, terrorism, war, and refugee conditions. Multiple factors including the child's age, temperament, resilience, and family support and coping determine whether the child develops difficulties including trauma symptoms. Children experience and give meaning to traumatic life events in their own unique way. Initial assessment should be family-centered and the developmental level of the child, risk factors and functional impairment should be assessed. In order to fully understand risk factors related to early interpersonal trauma, cultural, socio-economic and social factors that shape the caregiver-child relationship should be thoroughly assessed. TraumaPlay, developed by Goodyear-Brown (2010; 2019), offers a developmentally sensitive approach by using the facilitating power of play. The therapist acts as a safe base and container for the child, and treatment takes place through this healing relationship with the trusted therapist. Through sensitive and carefully timed interventions, the traumatized child is helped in working through feelings of loneliness, abandonment, maltreatment, and loss. The safe space provided by the therapist offers a milieu to drain the toxicity of disturbing memories and rediscover hope.

Keywords

• Flexibly sequential play therapy
• TraumaPlay
• Interpersonal trauma
• Complex trauma
• Child neglect
• Child Abuse

ÇOCUKLUK DÖNEMİNDE TRAVMA İLE ÇALIŞMAK: TRAVMAOYUN MODELİ

Abstract

Çocukların büyürken karşılaştıkları stresli yaşam olaylar, onların zihinsel, duygusal ve fiziksel gelişimleri üzerinde kalıcı ve uzun süreli etkilere sahiptir. İstismar, kaotik aile yapısı içinde büyümek, aile içi şiddet, kayıp, doğal afetler, terör, savaş ve mülteci olma durumu bu stresli yaşam olayları arasında yer almaktadır. Çocuğun yaşı, mizacı, psikolojik dayanıklılığı, ailenin desteği ve travmayla ne şekilde başa çıktıkları gibi çeşitli etmenler, bu yaşantıların çocuğu ne şekilde etkileyeceğinin ve travma semptomlarının belirleyicilerindendir. Her çocuk travmatik olayı kendisine özgü bir şekilde anlamlandırır. Travma yaşantısı ile terapiye gelen değerlendirilirken, risk faktörleri, çocuğun gelişimsel seviyesi ve işleyişi aile merkezli bir yaklaşımla, bütüncül ve çok yönlü bir şekilde ele alınmalıdır. Çocuğun istismarı ile sonuçlanabilecek her türlü durumu çok yönlü anlamak için ebeveyn çocuk ilişkisini şekillendiren ailevi, kültürel, sosyoekonomik ve toplumsal faktörlerin dikkate alındığı sosyal psikolojik bir yaklaşım önemlidir. Goodyear-Brown (2010; 2019) tarafından geliştirilen TravmaOyun, oyunun kolaylaştırıcı gücünü kullanarak çocuğun gelişimine duyarlı bir yaklaşım sunmaktadır. Terapist çocuk için güvenli bir üs görevi görür ve çocuk, terapist ile iyileştirici bir ilişkiyi deneyimler. Bir yetişkinle istikrarlı, güvenli bir ilişkinin merkezindeki hassas ve dikkatle zamanlanmış müdahaleler yoluyla, travma yaşamış çocuklar, yalnızlığa, terk edilmiş olma, kayıp, kötü muameleye ilişkin duygularını iyileştirir. Travmatik yaşantının zehirleyici etkisinden arınma sağlanıp, semptomların kontrol altına alınmasıyla, terapistin sağladığı güvenli alan sayesinde, çocuğun geleceğe dair umutları geliştirilir.

Keywords

• Esnek sıralı oyun terapisi
• TravmaOyun
• Kişilerarası travma
• Karmaşık travma
• Çocuk ihmali
• Çocuk istismarı

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