Teen Trauma Therapy & PTSD Treatment in Katy and Houston
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Your teen has experienced an incredibly stressful or overwhelming life experience. Though they say they are fine, you've seen a shift in mood, attitude, or behavior. This leads you to believe that they are anything but fine.
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You can see that something is wrong with your teen. Yet, when you ask your teen if they are okay, they won't let you in. Your teen may say something like, "I'm fine" or "I'm just tired" and you know it's not true. You know your teen is struggling with deeper feelings yet feel powerless to help.
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As a parent, your heart aches for the hurt you know your teen is experiencing. On top of the hurt you feel for your teen, you also feel a sense of powerlessness. You make great efforts to help your teen but they will not let you in and you don't know why.
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As a parent of a teen who ​is struggling, it is worrisome, confusing, and scary and can leave you feeling powerless. Your teen comes from a good family who loves them. Your teen has always had their needs met as well as some of the nicer things in life. You've always had a connected relationship with your teen and are unsure what has changed.
You think back to see if you can pinpoint a traumatic experience they may have had but come up empty. You wonder how you are going to be able to help your teen if they won't let you in and that is frightening.
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Table of Contents
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Symptoms of Teen Trauma & Teen PTSD
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What's is Trauma and PTSD?
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It used to be that we only thought of trauma as a significant and serious life event that was life threatening. Or, trauma could also be an event that threatened our safety. Some of those events may include:
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Physical, sexual, verbal abuse,
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Witnessing violence,
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Veterans who have been in battle and,
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First responders who witness tragedies as part of their job
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These forms of trauma we term "Big T" traumas. These can lead to Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), a serious mental health concern.
There are other experiences that can create trauma that may not be 'Big T' trauma experiences. Experiences that overwhelm our emotions can have a traumatic impact on your teen. For example, a teen who is relentlessly bullied may experience this as traumatic. Experiencing a death in the family, loss of a pet, or a non life threatening injury can be traumatic events. The traumatic impact of these experiences can be as serious as the more obvious forms of trauma are. These traumatic events we term 'little t' trauma.
These 'little t' traumas are more difficult to identify. To the casual outside observer, these incidences may not rise to the level of 'trauma' in their mind. For a verity of reasons, traumatic incidences impact us all differently. What one would experience as traumatic, another may see it as bothersome. It is these forms of trauma that teens experience that often leave parents and family members at a loss.
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Signs & Symptoms Your Teen May Need Trauma Therapy or PTSD Treatment
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Your teen's avoiding situations that cause them to remember the event.
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Your teen experiencing nightmares or flashbacks
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Your teen having feelings of chronic shame or guilt resulting in low feeling of self-worth. (often, teens will blame themselves for the traumatic event occurring)
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Your teen showing poor self-care
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Your teen having difficulties with short term memory and/or concentration
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There are changes in your teen's sleeping pattern (having difficulty sleeping at night or sleeping too much)
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Changes in your teen's eating and appetite (may skip meals or start eating more than usual)
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Your teen being overprotective of family members or fears something bad is going to happen
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Your teen over-reacting to seemingly small things or minor annoyances
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Your teen being easily startled
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Your teen thinking about the traumatic event often and repetitively
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Your teen engaging in self-harm and/or suicidal thoughts
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Suicide attempt(s) by your teen
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Common Reasons Teens Start Trauma Therapy & PTSD Treatment
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Teens often start trauma therapy and PTSD treatment because of the negative impact it has had on their life. Teens work hard to manage symptoms to live a 'normal' life, but find that the symptoms persist. The trauma symptoms affect every aspect of their life and prevent the teen from being happy. ​
Trauma is complicated and also tends to be pervasive in its effect in many, if not most, of life's activities. With trauma and PTSD, very often the teen has troubles sleeping at night. Lack of sleep leads to a gifted student struggling with their grades. Lack of sleep also impacts mood and motivation. Where once your driven teen was happy and goal oriented, you find that this is no longer the case.
With trauma and PTSD, teens who used to enjoy going out with friends are now staying home more often. They don't seem to get the same enjoyment out of being with friends like they used to. The thoughts of the trauma enter their mind taking away the enjoyment of the activity.
Trauma and PTSD also cause teens to relive the traumatic even over and over in their minds. The thoughts intrude at will causing the teen's nervous system to be on high alert. Due to this, your teen may become more irritable, angry and may blow up over seemingly small things. Trauma and PTSD rob the teen of the emotional security they used to enjoy. Lack of sleep, intrusive thoughts, and reliving the event robs your teen of feeling safe and happy.
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Hope in Trauma Therapy & PTSD Treatment
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Teens who experience trauma and PTSD want to feel safe and happy again. They have tried their best to do this often with the support of friends and family yet the problem persists. ​Seeking out a counselor who provides trauma therapy and PTSD treatment can be the answer. There are effective treatment options that can help your teen feel happy and safe again.​
If you are a teen, parent, or family member reading this, there is hope! Trauma therapy and PTSD treatment goes back 50 years. As a result, there are many trauma therapy and PTSD treatments that are very effective. EMDR and neurofeedback are two effective trauma therapy and PTSD treatments. Your teen can restore the happiness and safety they once felt through the the work they do in therapy. We have seen the smiles, the laughter, and happiness return and you can too!
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The Katy Teen & Family Counseling Approach to Trauma Therapy & PTSD Treatment
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It is critical that we first see the traumatic events through the eyes of the teen. Each person experiences a traumatic even differently. Working to gain a full understanding of the traumatic experience through the teen's frame of reference is key. We can then help the teen identify the emotional and psychological roots of the trauma. As teen specialists, we will help them build and develop coping skills to help manage the painful feelings. As we do this, we will continue to process traumatic events in therapy sessions to help the teen resolve the trauma.
The relief the teen feels from this process in being free from the grips of trauma & PTSD is life changing. Happiness, self-esteem, and self-worth return. Both the teen and the family notice the dramatic shift in happiness and zeal for life. Your teen is free from trauma and your family has their teen they used to know back!
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EMDR Therapy for Trauma Counseling & PTSD Therapy
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At Katy Teen & Family Counseling, we have helped teens and families through the devastating effects of trauma & PTSD. Teens regain their lives and families regain their teen. Through Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), many teens have been able to resolve their trauma that they had otherwise felt was impossible to resolve.
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EMDR is different than other approaches to trauma therapy & PTSD treatment. EMDR targets the memories, the damaging self-talk, emotions and where those emotions are felt in the body. Through EMDR, the teen does not talk repeatedly about the traumatic event. For this reason, many teens prefer EMDR to traditional talk therapy. Teens also choose EMDR due to the significant success EMDR has shown over the past 40 years. Since the 1980's, it has been one of the preferred treatment options of choice for trauma therapy & PTSD treatment.
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Neurofeedback Therapy for Trauma Therapy & PTSD Counseling
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In 2013, the National Institute of Mental Health (NIH) recognized that many mental health related issues have origins in brain circuitry and brain wave activity. Neurofeedback is cutting edge technology for treating trauma at the level of brain circuitry. At Katy Teen & Family Counseling, we use top of the line, sophisticated software in our neurofeedback therapy. We are one of the few providers world wide who use this level of neurofeedback therapy.
Neurofeedback is another option in treating trauma and PTSD. Research has supported neurofeedback as an effective approach in trauma therapy. Neurofeedback helps teens learn to reduce or eliminate the symptoms related to trauma through learning to train the way the brain performs. Through the use of sophisticated software to record brain activity, a cap with 19 sensors is used to record EEG brain activity. This provides a brain map and identifies the areas of the brain affected by trauma.
The software is much like playing a video game but using your brain to control the game. As the teen learns to control the game, the teen learns to train the way their brain performs. They shift from a symptoms state of brain performance to non-symptom state. Many teens enjoy this approach in treating trauma as it does not require them to think or talk about the trauma. Combined with EMDR therapy, these two approaches together create a powerful approach in trauma therapy.​
At Katy Teen & Family Counseling, our therapist is a Biofeedback Certification International Alliance (BCIA) professional trained in neurofeedback. BCIA is the main body of neurofeedback certification worldwide and ensures that therapists are trained through rigorous certification requirements.
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Other Counseling Approaches for Trauma Therapy & PTSD Treatment
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We utilize other research supported approaches in trauma counseling. These other approaches help supplement EMDR and/or Neurofeedback. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Internal Family Systems therapy (IFS) are two examples. We also include the family when and where appropriate in this healing journey. The family is a key piece as they are a safe harbor that teens require to fully heal from traumatic incidences.
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Trauma Therapy & PTSD treatment for Teens: Katy, Tx & Houston
You don't have to live with the fear and uncertainty of how you can help you, your teen, or your family. Trauma therapy & PTSD treatment can help your teen break the chains that bind them.
At Katy Teen & Family Counseling, we have the care, warmth, and acceptance required for healing. We also have the expertise and the cutting edge approaches required in helping your teen resolve struggles related to trauma. ​
The next steps in starting this healing journey would include the following:
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Contact Katy Teen & Family Counseling
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Meet with your caring, expert therapist
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Start the healing journey for you and your teen in resolving the effects of trauma
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Other Therapy Services at Katy Teen & Family Counseling:
Katy, Tx & Houston
While we specialize in treating gifted teens and talented teen athletes at Katy Teen & Family Counseling, we also specialize in other emotional and behavioral life struggles and provide the following approaches such as:
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Therapy for Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD)
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Teen Anxiety Treatment
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Teen Therapy for Self-harm
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Teen Therapy for Self-esteem and Self-worth
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Teen Anger Management Treatment
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A Message for Teens & Parents from Katy Teen & Family Counseling
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Teens Struggling With the Effects of Trauma or PTSD in Katy, Tx or Houston
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If you are a teen and are reading this, it may mean that you are searching for answers to help you navigate this complex and difficult path. You may or may not have let your parents in on the struggles you are facing on a daily basis. It is sometimes extremely difficult to think about telling your parents let alone actually doing it.
There is nothing in the world that is more important to me than to help my two boys find happiness. It's a common affliction that affects many parents. We care deeply about our teen's happiness and well being that there isn't a thing in the world that could make us not love our teens.
We ourselves are not perfect. We make mistakes. But if you ask your parents for help and let them know you want to see a therapist for trauma therapy or PTSD treatment, they will help. Many parents will be relieved, not disappointed in you, that you have allowed them in and are asking for help.​
When you tell your parents, they will hurt but not BE hurt by you - there is a difference. When our teen hurts we hurt right along with them -- and that's okay. As parents, that's just how we're wired. It allows us to help carry the burden with you so that you are no longer alone.
Allow your parents that ability to share your hurt as it can help lighten your load and there's nothing more that we want as a parent. If it was up to us, we would take it ALL on our shoulders if it could spare you the hurt.​
If you are one of the few where it may not be safe to tell your parent(s), find a trusted family member or other adult in your life and let them in. The trauma you may be experiencing is not your fault no matter what you may have or have not done in your life. You do not have to continue experiencing the effects of trauma. Reach out to a trusted adult and ask for help.
To Parents of Teens Struggling with Trauma or PTSD in Katy, Tx or Houston
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It can be challenging to think about taking your teen to a trauma therapist. The trauma therapy process is confidential. What is shared in the therapy office is not shared outside the therapy office except for certain situations (the exception of reporting child abuse). Normally, if the trauma has not occurred in the home, the teen, through the course of therapy, talks to their parents about the trauma.
Taking your teen to trauma therapy is not a reflection on you as a parent or your ability to parent. Taking your teen to trauma therapy shows that you are a parent place priority on your teen's happiness. As parents, we understand how complex life can be for teens. Not one of us are given a play by play handbook on how to handle every life complexity that comes our way with our kids. Genetics, brain chemistry, life experiences, resiliency, and a host of other variables factor into the struggles each of us face day to day. The complexities of trauma, whether the "Big T" or the "little t" kind, is challenging to navigate on your own.​
There are those of us out there who want to help. We have the life experience, the professional training, and years spent specializing in the field of teen trauma therapy and PTSD treatment. We are here for you as a resource, a tool, and facilitators of transformative experiences for you and your teen.
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Reach out today and start the transformative journey of healing the traumatic injuries that is keeping you from the happiness you deserve.
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