Ortiz 1

Carlos Ortiz

Ms. Angulo

AP English Language & Composition

9 December 2016

Therapy Treatment for Children Who Have Experienced Trauma

According to statistics from Child Protective Services in the United States, there are

about 5.5 million yearly reported cases of children suffering with trauma, often through neglect,

physical abuse, sexual abuse, and psychological abuse (PTSD: National Center for PTSD).

With these statistics in the U.S alone, it is evident that trauma continues to be persistent in

inhibiting children from thriving in life, however, specialized treatment has been successful in an

effort to aid children, such as through psychotherapy (mental therapy), pharmacotherapy

(medical therapy), and physiotherapy (physical therapy). In argument, facts and results have

proven that a trauma-stricken child benefits from the three main methods of specialized

treatment; though no treatment has been standardized due to various conflicting factors going

into each one of them. Although both pharmacotherapy and physiotherapy have proven to

provide rapid benefits to children suffering from trauma, psychotherapy arguably qualifies as the

best specialized treatment because it provides for a therapeutic alliance of trust between the

patient and therapist, educates the patient in various methods to cope with trauma, and directly

targets the trauma mentally through a specialized framework that aids in long-term relief.

A child may experience trauma as a result of catastrophic events such as physical abuse,

sexual abuse, the loss of loved ones, and various other aspects that surge and remain persistent in

the mind of children until an eventual time, however, the effects of these aspects may be

dramatically reduced as result of treatment. Among these methods of specialized treatment

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include the uses of physical therapy, medical therapy, and mental therapy. Physical therapy is

primarily based from Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), which focuses on the behavior of

trauma suffers. This form of therapy provides for self-relieving benefits through modification of

unhealthy behaviors, done by a patients interactions with other people (Tull). Medical therapy is

often induced through prescriptions such as Gleason and AACAP that have been adaptable for

the use in children. These medications relieve children while in effect, however, their results vary

from patient to patient (Stein, et.al). Mental therapy is conducted through phases in framework or

in systems such as Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) that work by

targeting the mind and intellect of a child, providing for long-term relief with the aid of a

therapist (Wheeler). All three main methods of therapy provide one way or another of assisting

children with trauma; however, therapists, physicians, and patients have not concluded yet as to

which method best supports in abating trauma. Many may contend that either physical behavioral

therapy, medical induced therapy, or mentally targeted therapy fits best for children, but

conversely, a singular type of approach has not been standardized (Wheeler). All experiences of

trauma vary and require different treatment in which can all be dictated by factors such as

religion, beliefs, availability of resources or economic status.

Numerous experienced therapists and patients have disputed that both physical and

medical therapy have proven benefits over those that would have been produced by mental

therapy. An incorporation of physical therapy assists both the child patient and the legal guardian

through a cooperative effort to cope with symptoms of trauma while medical therapy benefits the

child patient only through a use of trauma-abating medications. As expressed by authors in both

Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Pharmacotherapy of Posttraumatic Stress

Disorder, many of these benefits include modification of inaccurate beliefs that a trauma-
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stricken child may mentally produce, or, temporarily and rapidly reduce traumatic exposure

symptoms through medications, preventing the continuation of impairment while settling a

patient (Tull; Stein, et.al). Also, supporting a child through mental therapy has proven to be

highly effective over time, however, according to Psychotherapeutic Strategies for Healing

Trauma by Kathleen Wheeler, the process of mental therapy may be potentially dangerous

because if the trauma is not primarily targeted in a proper manner, it may modify the feelings of

a child and cause the trauma to dangerously alter their beliefs and actions (Wheeler). Whether

choosing physical or medical therapy, both approaches may quickly assist in the reduction of

symptoms from trauma affecting a child. Although both methods have proven to have countless

effective and quick benefits, mental therapy has proven to surpass the benefits of both physical

and medical therapy through personal experiences in which patients have created a bond of trust

with a therapist who understands the symptoms of their trauma.

Trauma among children has been recognized to be effectively aided through a mental

therapy union that promotes a therapeutic setting for emotional care, allowing a patient to benefit

from forms of trust with their surroundings. In Psychotherapeutic Strategies for Healing

Trauma, Wheeler argues, meta-analytic reviews of research studies have found that the

therapeutic alliance is itself therapeutic and crucial for the successful outcome of psychotherapy

no matter what model of treatment is used, (Wheeler). Patient outcomes suggest that a

corrective emotional involvement between a child and mental therapist provides for a minimum

aid in therapeutic connection; however, it provides for a basis in the therapy process that would

initially secure the mental health of a child at first. The collective effort to promote an

emotionally stable environment sets a foundation for mental coping as it maintains mental

boundaries, sets limits, and demonstrates the potential inherent difficulties that a child may face
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because of trauma (Wheeler). Through this effort between a child patient and therapist, it is

evident that there is a clear advantage to the laying of a mental foundation of emotional care for a

child who has experienced trauma.

Educating trauma-stricken children about the tenacious effects of trauma through

psychotherapy helps to create a cognitive background to break down and abate the adverse

responses that could potentially affect him or her. In 2000, a trauma system for phases of

response surfaced through the Disaster Mental Health Response Handbook. Researches of

psychoeducation state trauma education aids children by providing a supportive context that

helps them comprehend and anticipate how their responses to trauma develop over time. Many

children who have been inhibited by trauma typically display continued fear and withdrawal,

leading into a process of causing children to temporarily regress to an earlier developmental

level (Phoenix). Children will continue to regress until they develop a knowledgeable sense of

personal coping strategies which would provide a sense of control over their own trauma-

induced stress responses (Phoenix). Results of psychoeducation have proven that a childs ability

to understand and influence his or her own responses can reduce the instant adverse impact of an

exceedingly traumatic situation or current trauma, suggesting that it provides aid in the stability

stage in psychologically subsiding trauma. Education of trauma has highly benefited children. It

is evident that the process should be standardized as the best among therapy for those who have

experienced trauma, as it is unpredictable as to when a patient may need to put coping and

learning strategies into use to maintain a healthful mind.

Psychotherapy provides for a standard framework among all approaches of treatment that

have demonstrated to be exceedingly operative through two segments, stabilization and

processing. Through these segments, trauma is targeted through all manners to reduce the
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exposure that a child faces by involving internal and external factors, and, to maintain an even

relationship between painful memories and a future healthful visioning over time (Wheeler). For

example, psychotherapys framework targets memories, behaviors, sensations, and cognitions

through the help of open-ended questioning by a therapist, eventually leading to the positive

processing of the traumatic experiencing to the patient. Mental behavior and inclination towards

a particular process is also crucial to patients, especially for children. According to a study in

Psychotherapys Image Problem by Brandan A. Gaudano, a clinical psychologist at Brown

University, the number of patients receiving psychotherapy in the United States dropped from 34

percent while the number of patients receiving help through medical therapy increased by 23

percent between 1998 to 2007; however, an analysis of 33 studies found that patients articulated

a three-times-greater preference for psychotherapy over the use of medical therapy (Einhorn).

The higher inclination in child patients preferring psychotherapy suggests that although that

method of therapy is often harder to gain access to, children are more prone and accepting of the

absorbing of mental help to subside their trauma. Through this evidence, many should consider

the various amounts of benefit that a child may reap as a result of being more open to a method

of therapy that not only dramatically reduces his or her trauma, but creates a bond of trust

between him or her and a mindfully aware therapist.

Despite arguments attempting to prove the effectiveness of pharmacotherapy and

physiotherapy over psychotherapy, psychotherapy has proven to offer long-term benefits by

administering for a therapeutic alliance of trust between the patient and therapist, educating the

patient by serving with a variety of trauma coping methods, and by directly targeting the trauma

through a specialized framework that aids by working through a mental perspective. Since the

war against terror has not yet declared a winner in a standardized method to combat trauma, it is
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important that one is standardized soon, so as to have a more efficient and effective way to

promote human health throughout society, starting with those of the future generations. The

standardization of psychotherapy itself would aid in the adoption of further advancements in its

range, allowing for trauma to be solely targeted, relieving children from the confinement of

trauma.
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Works Cited

Einhorn, Dr. "Advocating Psychotherapy-Sort-Of-In the New York Times." Psychatlarge.com.

N.p., 21 Nov. 2013. Web. 11 Nov. 2016.

Phoenix, Bethany J. "Psychoeducation for Survivors of Trauma." Perspectives in Psychiatric

Care 3(2007):123. eLibrary. Web. 26 Oct. 2016.

"PTSD: National Center for PTSD." PTSD in Children and Teens - PTSD: National Center for

PTSD. N.p., 13 Aug. 2015. Web. 26 Nov. 2016.

Stein, Dan J., Jonathan Ipser, and Nicole McAnda. "Pharmacotherapy of Posttraumatic

Stress Disorder: A Review of Meta-Analyses and Treatment Guidelines."

(2009): 25-30.Web. 26 Oct. 2016.

Tull, Matthew, PhD. "Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Kids." Verywell.

Verywell, 8 July 2016. Web. 05 Nov. 2016.

Wheeler, Kathleen. "Psychotherapeutic Strategies for Healing Trauma." Perspectives in

Psychiatric Care 3(2007):132. eLibrary. Web. 26 Oct. 2016.