Treating Chronically Traumatized Children

When children refuse or seem unable to talk about their traumatic memories, it might be tempting to ‘let sleeping dogs lie’. However, if left untreated, the memories of childhood abuse and neglect can have a devastating effect on the development of children and young people. How can these children be motivated and engage in trauma-focused therapy? Treating Chronically Traumatized Children: The Sleeping Dogs Method describes a structured method to overcome resistance and enable children to wake these sleeping dogs safely, so these children heal from their trauma. The ‘Sleeping Dogs method’ is a comprehensive approach to treating chronically traumatized children, first preparing the child to such an extent that he or she can engage in therapy to process traumatic memories, then by the trauma processing and integration phase. Collaboration with the child’s network, the child’s biological family including the abuser-parent and child protection services, are key