Treating Traumatized Teens and Emerging Adults in a Global Pandemic: Development, Attachment, and the Therapeutic Relationship – Martha Straus
Traumatized adolescents and young adults struggle with self-regulation. They are dysregulated across systems–neurologically, cognitively, physically, emotionally, behaviorally, socially, and spiritually. Anxious and vigilant, and unable to trust themselves or caregivers, they may experience even loving relationships as confusing and frightening. But to learn self-soothing, they must first be able to rely upon others and discover the comfort of co-regulation. They benefit from relationships with adults that provide them with the psychological (and physical) sense of stability and containment they cannot supply themselves.
Their lifelong experience of the world as unpredictable is exacerbated by the fear and uncertainty that the COVID-19 has brought to us all. To work effectively with these youth, it’s crucial for adults to first foster their own capacity for self-awareness and self-regulation. It’s not easy, especially now, when we have also been enduring traumatic stress and losses of our own. It can also be harder to attune to our young clients using teletherapy, and their extreme reactions—ranging from angry arousal to frozen shutting down—can trigger our own sense of helplessness and overwhelm. Read More
TRAINING information
Traumatized adolescents and young adults struggle with self-regulation. They are dysregulated across systems–neurologically, cognitively, physically, emotionally, behaviorally, socially, and spiritually. Anxious and vigilant, and unable to trust themselves or caregivers, they may experience even loving relationships as confusing and frightening. But to learn self-soothing, they must first be able to rely upon others and discover the comfort of co-regulation. They benefit from relationships with adults that provide them with the psychological (and physical) sense of stability and containment they cannot supply themselves.
Their lifelong experience of the world as unpredictable is exacerbated by the fear and uncertainty that the COVID-19 has brought to us all. To work effectively with these youth, it’s crucial for adults to first foster their own capacity for self-awareness and self-regulation. It’s not easy, especially now, when we have also been enduring traumatic stress and losses of our own. It can also be harder to attune to our young clients using teletherapy, and their extreme reactions—ranging from angry arousal to frozen shutting down—can trigger our own sense of helplessness and overwhelm. Read More
Learning Objectives
- To review the impact of complex and continuous traumatic exposure and pandemic-related stress on development and effective therapy.
- To explore four relational pathways for healing the interpersonal effects of developmental trauma.
- To understand co-regulation across intrapersonal and interpersonal systems.
- To describe adult behavior that increases calm, intentional, empathic interaction.
- To discuss specific intervention strategies to help youth in both highly activated and deactivated dysregulated states.
- To practice reacting, reflecting, and responding to get hooked and unhooked from confusing and provocative behavior.
Agenda
Hour One:
- Overview of Webinar
- Types of Traumatic Exposure
- The Impact of the Pandemic on Trauma and Stress
- Dependency is Good—Even in Adolescence and Emerging Adulthood
- Developmental-Relational Therapy
Hour Two:
- The Two-Person System: Co-Regulation before Self-Soothing
- Attachment and Regulation in Adolescence and Emerging Adulthood
- The Therapist’s Attachment Style
- Empathy and Self-Compassion: Doing Your own Work
Hour Three:
- Getting Hooked to Get Unhooked
- 4 Ms: Mindfulness, Mirroring, Mentalizing, Modulation
- Putting on the Brakes, Grounding, Breathing, Connecting
- The React-Reflect-Respond Model
Audience: This workshop is designed to support both beginning and seasoned individual and family therapists, school counselors, and those providing social and therapeutic services in- and out-patient, in residential and secure settings, and as part of alternative and community programs. Biological, foster, and adoptive parents and other caregivers will also find much of the material useful and relevant.
Teaching Methods: Lecture, discussion, case examples, self-exploration exercises, video clips
About the Speaker
Martha B. Straus, PhD, is a professor in the Department of Clinical Psychology at Antioch University New England Graduate School in Keene, New Hampshire and part-time Lecturer in the Program of Professional Education at Smith College for Social Work. Straus is an international trainer, speaking on topics related to child, adolescent, and family development, attachment, trauma, and psychotherapy. She maintains a small private practice in Brattleboro, Vermont where she also provides supervision and consultation to individuals, schools, and social service agencies. She’s the author of numerous articles and seven books including most recently a co-authored third edition of The Lost Art of Listening: How Learning to Listen Can Improve Relationships (2021), Cool, Calm, and Connected: A Workbook for Parents and Childten to Co-regulate, Manage Big Emotions & Build Stronger Bonds (2021), and Treating Trauma in Adolescents: Development, Attachment, and the Therapeutic Relationship (2017).
CPD/CE
CPD & CE credits available: 3
How do I receive these credits?
The participant must pass the multiple-choice test with a minimum score of 80%. There is a maximum of three attempts to achieve this.
The post-test is included in the price of the training.
Does my regulatory body accept the credits?
The CPD & CE credits awarded can be used towards your declaration to any governing regulatory body in your state or country, provided the content is relevant to your discipline.
Our trainings are accredited by:
– The CPD Group, London
– Canadian Counselling and Psychotherapy Association
– Australian Counselling Association
