Volume_5_Issue_2_Digest

6 TPC Digest Young children are at a high risk for experiencing traumatic events. Over 50% of young children are exposed to a severe stressor. Severe stressors can include child abuse, neglect, physical traumas, domestic violence and accidents. Because young children are in a phase of rapid development, they are especially vulnerable to the adverse effects of trauma. Despite a recent accumulation of research, professional counselors generally have limited knowledge of the impact of trauma during early childhood. From a historical perspective, trauma exposure in early childhood has received little attention. Misconceptions about early childhood development and practitioners’ general hesitation to diagnose trauma-related mental illness in children have hindered research and practice-based efforts. As a result, children exposed to trauma have received inadequate care. Today, researchers have a better understanding of the impact that trauma can have on young children. However, the development of psychometrically sound diagnostic tools for assessing trauma symptoms in children still lags behind. Trauma reactions can present in a variety of ways. For example, children may reexperience the trauma or reenact themes from the event. Children may have nightmares, flashbacks or dissociative episodes. A host of other symptoms include but are not limited to temper tantrums, sleep disturbances and physical aggression. Traumatic events also can prevent children from reaching developmental milestones or contribute to children losing acquired developmental skills. A variety of mental health issues can arise as consequences of early childhood trauma; anxiety disorders and substance abuse, for example, can emerge years after a traumatic event is experienced. Post-traumatic stress disorder frequently develops Kristen E. Buss Jeffrey M. Warren Evette Horton following exposure to severe stressors. It is important that counselors are aware of the residual effects of traumatic events and the roles that these experiences play in the lives of their adult clients. Given the impact that trauma in early childhood can have across the lifespan, risks and protective factors should be considered. Early intervention can reduce the social and emotional impact that trauma has on a child’s life. A variety of evidence-based methods are available for counselors treating children exposed to traumatic events. Many of the treatment methods, including trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy and attachment and biobehavioral catch-up, utilize play to address the trauma symptoms in young children. There are several emerging approaches to treating trauma in early childhood as well. Ways of Seeing; Honoring Children, Mending the Circle; and Trauma Assessment Pathway offer additional treatment options for counselors working with families impacted by trauma. Professional counselors should aim to increase their awareness and knowledge of early childhood trauma and treatment. Kristen E. Buss, NCC is a counselor at Hope-Thru-Horses, Inc. in Lumber Bridge, NC. Jeffrey M. Warren, NCC is an Assistant Professor at the University of North Carolina-Pembroke. Evette Horton is a Clinical Instructor at the UNC OBGYN Horizons Program at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill. Correspondence can be addressed to Jeffrey Warren, The University of North Carolina-Pembroke, P.O. Box 1510, School of Education, Pembroke, NC 28372, jeffrey.warren@uncp.edu . Read full article and references: Buss, K. E., Warren, J. M., & Horton, E. (2015). Trauma and treatment in early childhood: A review of the historical and emerging literature for counselors. The Professional Counselor , 5 , 225–237. doi: 10.15241/keb.5.2.225 Trauma and Treatment in Early Childhood A Review of the Historical and Emerging Literature for Counselors