The field of trauma studies, as well as the application to trauma treatment with young people, is still very much in its infancy. Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is often discussed synonymously with trauma. However, PTSD as a diagnosis rarely does justice to the experience of young people, who often exhibit a complex set of behaviors and trauma …
Whether you’re leading a mindfulness class, an academic class, or a therapy group, it’s important to create a healing-centered, growth-oriented space where youth feel respected and comfortable. On the first day of class, I like to discuss openly the types of behavior that will help everyone to feel safe in the group and that will …
2 Simple Tips to Create a Welcoming, Trauma-Informed Classroom Space Read More »
I remember the first time I felt true compassion for one of my clients. I was still in graduate school, working at the local juvenile detention camp. I remember the office at the camp. It wasn’t fancy. My partner and I (the other therapist who worked with me) were tucked away in what appeared to …
Compassion Can Help You Work With Trauma-Impacted Youth Read More »
[Click for Mindful Eating Activity PDF] Join the FREE Resilience Community for Helping Professionals to learn more about trauma-informed care, resilience, mindfulness, building relationships, and more! Our community features self-paced courses, a monthly live Zoom call, a weekly live meditation, and an online platform to connect with other providers/professionals in your field. Related Posts 9 Guidelines for …
Whenever I teach mindfulness to teenagers I try as best as possible to incorporate the use of metaphor. I find that with teens (let alone people) metaphors access a different part of a person’s ability to relate to information. I often ask the youth I work with how they’d define mindfulness. For those I haven’t …
Cultivating the Lion Mind: A Mindfulness Metaphor that Sticks Read More »
Noelle was a young woman I worked with in a school setting with a tragic story. She was what we would describe as multiply traumatized; in a sense, everything that could’ve went wrong in her life, did go wrong. One of the adverse impacts of all of her traumas was on her ability to trust …
3 Reasons Why Authenticity is a Trauma-Informed Practice Read More »
Jeanette*, a 17 year-old high school student, found herself in my office trying to describe the shock of losing her father: “I just can’t….” and she trailed off. “I mean I don’t know, I just, I don’t, I can’t…” and she stopped again. She couldn’t speak because her brain was down regulating. The outer most …
9 Guidelines for Teaching Trauma-Informed Mindfulness To Teens Read More »
Teaching mindfulness to teenagers is one of my favorite professional pastimes. I usually teach mindfulness to young people in educational, medical, and even correctional settings. To say the least, the teens themselves aren’t always that excited about closing their eyes and meditating in front of their peers, especially if they have a negative connotation toward …
Teaching meditation to teens who have the giggles Read More »
When my colleague Steven Saul and I were developing the Mindfulness-Based Substance Abuse Treatment (MBSAT) 12-Session Curriculum at a juvenile detention camp, we had a number of conversations about the pros and cons of using cognitive acronyms as strategies to promote mindfulness and general self-awareness. He was more open to cognitive techniques given some of …
10 Acronyms That Promote Self-Awareness and Decision-Making in Youth Read More »
Mindfulness is the practice of observing your own experience in the present moment with an attitude of non-reactivity and/or non-judgement. That’s it. It’s not necessarily about being calm, going to a “happy place” or even controlling your breathing. Mindfulness is about being with “what is” in regard to your experience. Check out this infographic on …
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