Emotion-Reasoning Bridge: A Psychoeducational Guide for Parents of Trauma-Impacted Children

The connection between emotions and cognitive processing in children who have experienced trauma is essential to understand, as these events can impact a child's emotional well-being, thought processes, and overall brain growth. Traumatic experiences can disrupt the development of a child's brain, leading to difficulties in areas responsible for critical thinking, learning, and memory (Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University, n.d.). Moreover, children who have been through trauma may have trouble managing their emotions, which can make it harder for them to think clearly and effectively (Siegel & Bryson, 2011).

As a parent, it's important to support your child's emotional and cognitive development following traumatic experiences. One way to do this is by encouraging healthy emotional regulation, resilience, and coping skills. By helping your child build these skills, you can aid in their healing process and contribute to their cognitive development.

One of the best ways to explain resilience to your child is through the Tennis Ball Analogy. Resilience is bouncing back like a tennis ball after being knocked down. Even when marked with a permanent marker, the ball still bounces, but the mark remains. 

Here are some resources to help you support your child and better understand what they are going through: 

The National Child Traumatic Stress Network, is an organization that is dedicated to raising awareness regarding the prevalence of childhood trauma (also known as complex trauma or complex PTSD).  They aim to improve access to trauma-informed care and enhance the quality of treatment provided for children affected by traumatic events, as well as support their families. 

How do I know that a traumatic event is impacting my child?

Symptoms of Trauma in children closely mimic Major Depressive Disorder and can include the following:

• too much OR too little sleep

• loss of appetite or overeating

• easy to anger, irritable

• trouble maintaining focus in school OR refusing to attend school

This is not an complete list of possible symptomatology/behaviorisms associated with trauma in children.

How does trauma impact my child's thinking and reasoning skills?

Trauma can change the way the brain works, which has the potential to create a variety of concerns when it comes to your child's well-being. These may include trouble with concentrating, learning difficulties, low self-esteem, problems getting along with others, and difficulty sleeping. (Nemeroff, 2016). 

What can I do to help?

• Be patient and understanding: Recognize that your child's cognitive challenges are a result of their traumatic experiences. This is a normal response to trauma.

• Task Analysis: Break tasks into smaller steps so that they can manage tasks more effectively and think logically.

• Teach coping skills for emotion regulation: Helping your child to identify and express their emotions in a healthy way can be beneficial to decrease your child's stress response to potential triggers. 

5-4-3-2-1 Grounding Technique:

5 things that you can see

4 things that you can hear

3 things that you can touch

2 things that you can smell

1 thing that you can taste

• Daily Routine: Having a daily routine provides your child with predictability which  can improve your child's cognitive functioning by decrease cognitive load. Consider providing them with a written schedule broken up by time and activity. Allow them to play an active role in what their day may look like.

  For more complete information please refer to the Complex Trauma: Facts for Caregivers handout below.