Promoting Resilience

Module V Key Concepts:

Remember that kids impacted by trauma are less equipped than their peers to name their feelings and emotions. They typically lack the language necessary to explain how they are feeling or what they need, so behavior becomes their language.

Giving them a voice is powerful, so help them name their feelings, fears, and state of being. This positions them to regulate on their own and feel safe. The felt safety we provide is vital for the development of the brain and ensures our most vulnerable children learn self-regulation and can stay in learning mode instead of survival mode.

TraumaWise care is based on 3 pillars: Safety (Felt-safety), Connections (fostering deep connections) and Coping (scaffolding to improve self-regulation).

1. Safety entails an environment where one can feel secure, calm, and attend to normal developmental tasks. Maslow described safety needs as closely connected to survival, but also to higher level growth needs.

2. Connections involve trusting relationships with caring adults as well as normative community supports such as sports teams, youth groups, and recreational programs. Building connections fosters resilience by meeting growth needs for belonging and generosity.

3. Coping enables the individual to meet life challenges as well as to manage emotions and impulses underlying traumatic stress. In resilience terms, successful coping strengthens growth needs for mastery and independence.

*Taken from David Cross, Ph.D.’s paper: Relational Trauma and TraumaWise Care: A Concise and Contemporary Overview (April 5, 2018). Can be found online at: http://p6i7s36dw7i3ol89p3qsnrne-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2018/04/Definitions_Trauma-and-Traumawise-Care.pdf