When trauma occuring in childhood goes unaddressed, children become at risk for developing mental and physical health problems throughout their lifespan. Children need to feel safe and secure in their attachment to parents/primary caregivers in order to develop skills needed for all areas of life. When trauma disrupts development, children may develop unhealthy beliefs, thoughts, and feelings about themselves and others which have a negative impact on their relationships with others. Their ability to cope with stress may be impaired, making it difficult to avoid and/or manage everyday stressors. When relational trauma such as abuse, neglect, domestic violence, unexpected death, or traumatic separation occurs, children become dysregulated and often withdraw, shut down, become controlling, act out with aggression, and/or exhibit other harmful or unhealthy behaviors. 

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Sometimes families without a history of trauma experience relational challenges as well. Other factors that may influence attachment in families include differing personalities, differing parenting strategies, developmental disabilities, mental health problems, or unavoidable separation between child and parent (such as hospitalizations). 

 

Attachment-focused interventions, can be used in a therapeutic setting to help foster secure attachments between children and their parents/caregivers. Once the child feels safe and secure, they may be better able to recover from trauma they have experienced. Trauma-focused therapy can be helpful in teaching children how to regulate their bodies and emotions, how to process traumatic events, how to correct any unhelpful thoughts or beliefs in order to recover from trauma. 

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Our space is designed to foster exploration, discovery, imagination, play, growth, and healing in children and their families. We try to supply our space with toys and tools aimed at learning, practicing, and mastering skills needed in a variety of life areas as our children and families grow together.