Needs

Trauma & Abuse

Are you concerned because your child…

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… has endured a traumatic or life-threatening event?

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… has been a victim of violence or abuse?

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… has experienced severe disruptions in their attachment relationships?

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… experiences nightmares, flashbacks, intense fears, uncontrollable thoughts or anxiety?

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… has emotional outbursts, has overwhelming stress, or seems withdrawn?

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… has developed a substance abuse problem to cope with a distressing event?

Does your child suffer from the effects of trauma or abuse?

Your child may be living with a lasting emotional impact following a violent or life-threatening event, or as the result of painful life experiences like abuse, neglect or sudden loss. If your child has experienced trauma, you may notice that they have difficulty regulating their emotions, engaging in healthy relationships, or that they are distressed by flashbacks, nightmares or anxiety. Trauma can also cause physical symptoms such as headaches, digestive issues, fatigue, or agitation. It is important to understand that trauma can persist long after the event(s) that caused it, but there are ways to overcome and heal the hurts to your child or teen’s sense of self and safety.

There are different types and causes of trauma:

Acute trauma: the result of an isolated event, e.g., a serious or life-threatening accident or an act of violence
Chronic trauma: the result of recurring events, such as living in a war torn region, abuse, neglect, domestic violence, or bullying
Complex trauma: the compound result of experiencing multiple traumatic events
Secondary trauma: the result of being in close contact with another person who has experienced trauma

What are our next steps?

We will meet with you and your child or teen to learn about their experience, their feelings and the behavioural, emotional and/or physical adaptations they have made to cope with their trauma. We take a judgment-free approach that aims to validate and encourage your child/teen towards healthy healing. Once we have a better understanding of your child’s emotional, behavioural, social, and physical responses, we will move forward with an individualized treatment plan that may include any of the following:

Cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT) – involves learning to recognize, understand and change unhelpful thought patterns and behaviours
Psychodynamic therapy – which aims to gain help your child insight into the foundation of their mental and emotional processes, as a way to foster change in unhealthy patterns
Eye movement and desensitization reprocessing (EMDR) – is a highly specialized treatment that uses your child’s eye movements to mitigate negative emotions and cope with trauma

The first step towards healing is a conversation. Please contact us to book an appointment to discuss how we can help your child and family begin recovery from trauma or abuse.

Contact the Oak Centre

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THE OAK CENTRE

416 North Service Rd. East, Suite 100
Briarwood Business Park
Oakville, ON L6H 5R2
tel: 905.844.7117
email: admin@theoakcentre.ca
fax: 905.844.3396