Steps to Take After Your Arizona Teen’s Traumatic Event
FACT CHECKED
The Nexus Teen Academy editorial and clinical team is dedicated to providing informative and accurate content to help families who are struggling with adolescent behavioral health problems. The editorial team works directly with the clinical team to ensure information is accurate and up-to-date.
To do this, our team uses the following editorial guidelines:
We generally only cite government and peer-reviewed studies
Scientific claims and data are backed by qualified sources
Content is updated to ensure we are citing the most up-to-date data and information
Clinically reviewed by Executive Director Hannah Carr-Unquera, LPC
Executive Director Hannah Carr-Unquera, LPC
Hannah graduated from Arizona State University with her Bachelor’s in Psychology and Master’s in Counseling and is a Licensed Professional Counselor in Arizona. She began her work as a therapist 12 years ago in South Phoenix with an intensive outpatient program for teens and their families. She joined Nexus in the residential program as the clinical director, eventually being promoted to the executive director, creating and building the clinical program structure and a strong culture focused on redirecting the trajectory of young lives.
The Nexus Teen Academy Editorial Staff is composed of writers, editors, and clinical reviewers with many years of experience writing about mental health and behavioral health treatment. Our team utilizes peer-reviewed, clinical studies from sources like SAMHSA to ensure we provide the most accurate and current information.
Up to 43% of teenagers experience at least one trauma in their lives, and more will have a difficult time processing traumatic events and memories. Traumatic events can be lethal, leaving scars that don’t heal without love, support, and care. “My Teen Has Been Through a Traumatic Event- What Should I Do?” is the most common question parents ask our counselors. Ensuring your teen feels safe and supported, openly communicating, and seeking professional help is the sine qua non. At Nexus Teen Academy, we understand the challenges and complexities of teen trauma. We provide therapies, personalized adolescent PTSD residential treatment, support interventions, and resources to help teens and family members deal with traumatic events, experiences, and memories. If your child needs help overcoming a traumatic event, contact our team today and learn more about how our unique programming can help you and your teen.
Understanding Trauma in Teenagers
Teen trauma is caused by events that a teenager perceives as overwhelmingly shocking, scary, or dangerous. Let’s find out what constitutes a traumatic event:
What Constitutes a Traumatic Event?
Traumatic events are incidences capable of causing significant physical, emotional, and psychological harm. Such events usually threaten a teenager’s life or safety and may include abuse, natural disasters, violence, life-threatening illnesses, or accidents. Here are a few components of a traumatic event:
They cause intense distress
They evoke a sense of horror or helplessness.
They disrupt a teenager’s normal functioning.
Immediate Effects of Teen Trauma on Mental and Physical Health
Teen trauma often affects teenagers physically and mentally. Here are some of the most common effects:
Mental Effects
Heightened feelings of fear, worry, and anxiety
Depressive symptoms such as intense feelings of sadness and hopelessness
Heightened alertness and constantly anticipating and scanning for threats
Confusion and difficulties concentrating
Physical Effects
Sleep disturbances occasioned by restless sleep or trouble falling and staying asleep
Persistent tiredness and lack of energy
Significant appetite changes
An elevated heart rate
Physical issues such as muscle tension, headaches, and stomachaches
Critical First Steps After A Teen Traumatic Event
Here are a few essential steps to take once you realize your teenager has undergone a traumatic experience:
Creating a Safe Environment
Creating a safe environment for a traumatized teen is vital for making your child feel comfortable and safe. Here is how you can make the home a haven for a traumatized teen:
Establish a quiet, private area where your teenager can retreat and feel safe
Establish and enforce consistent routines to offer a sense of stability
Create an environment where teenagers can feel comfortable expressing their feelings without judgment
Acknowledge and respect their personal space and boundaries
Listen and offer emotional support without being too pushy
Identify and minimize exposure to people, places, or situations that may trigger your teenager’s traumatic memories
Be patient
Maintain a calm home environment and eliminate any form of chaos or stress
Maintain open lines of communication
Limit their exposure to negative media resources that cause stress or anxiety.
Most importantly, learn more about trauma and its effects to understand your teenager’s experiences and needs better.
Emotional First Aid
Here is what you can say or do in the initial hours or days after your teenager experiences a traumatic event:
Confirm that they are physically safe
Check for any physical injuries and offer first aid if necessary
Seek professional help promptly if necessary
Offer a calm and reassuring presence. Remember to be gentle and soothing
Acknowledge and validate their emotions
Do not pressure them to talk if they are not ready. Be patient and give your teenager space.
Identifying Signs of Increased Trauma in Your Teen
You should monitor your teenager in the initial days after a traumatic event to identify any signs of increased trauma and respond accordingly. Here are the behavioral and emotional indicators of teen trauma and when to worry.
Behavioral and Emotional Indicators
Behavioral and emotional indicators of teen trauma include the following:
Increased anger or hostility
Isolation from friends and family
Excessive sleeping or insomnia
Changes in eating habits, such as loss of appetite or overeating
Increased avoidance of places or activities that may trigger memories
Persistent worry or fear
Prolonged hopelessness or sadness
Guilt/ shame regarding the trauma
Emotional numbness
Being easily startled or overly alert
When to Worry About Teen Trauma
You should seek immediate professional intervention if you notice the following signs in your teenager:
Extreme and sudden mood swings
Engaging in self-harm behaviors, such as cutting and burning
Increased use of drugs, alcohol, or other substances
Frequent nightmares or flashbacks of the traumatic event or memories
Structure and routine offer a sense of normalcy and security, which are crucial for a traumatized teen. Here is how you can maintain routine and structure for your teenager:
Encourage healthy sleep habits
Help your teenager eat regular, healthy meals
Encourage your teenager to continue getting involved in activities they enjoy when possible
Limit screen time to promote healthy habits
Schedule breaks and leisure activities to prevent burnout
Offer positive reinforcement by encouraging and praising your teen for sticking to their routine
Remember to include regular exercise in your teen’s daily routine to help reduce stress and improve their mood.
Social Support
Social support during trauma recovery helps reduce feelings of isolation, fosters a sense of belonging, and guarantees emotional support for teens. Here is how teens recovering from trauma can obtain social support:
Engaging in therapy sessions with teens with similar experiences
Using the counseling services provided by the school
Spending time with supportive and empathetic friends
Engaging in open and honest conversations with family members
Building new social connections by participating in clubs and sporting activities
Participating in healthy community initiatives and youth programs
Joining an online support group
Connecting with mentors or older teenagers who have been down the same path
Joining a faith-based youth group for spiritual and social support
Volunteering in community service projects
Seeking Professional Help for Teen Trauma
Seeking professional help facilitates a safe and supportive environment for traumatized teens to express their feelings and process emotions. Therapeutic techniques such as trauma-focused therapy and cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) help teens develop healthy coping mechanisms, regain a sense of control and stability, and reduce symptoms of depression and anxiety.
The Role of Psychological Assessment
Psychological assessment comprehensively evaluates a teenager’s emotional, behavioral, and cognitive functioning. It is conducted through interviews, questionnaires, and standardized tests and helps determine factors such as the severity of trauma-related disorders and any other co-occurring conditions. It also helps identify specific triggers and symptoms and understand the teenager’s resilience and coping mechanisms. More importantly, it offers a basis for creating a personalized, tailored, and effective treatment plan.
Assessment and Diagnosis
At Nexus Teen Academy, we can help with the assessment and diagnosis process to better understand your teen’s situation. During the assessment, we will evaluate the extent of your teen’s trauma and if it has developed into PTSD. Moreover, we will look at underlying factors or issues, such as substance abuse, depression, and more, that may be contributing to your teen’s situation as well.
If you want to learn more about our assessment process, contact our team today, and we will walk you through how it works.
Diagnostic Criteria for PTSD and Other Trauma-Related Disorders
Here are a few things trauma specialists consider when diagnosing PTSD and other
trauma-related disorders:
Exposure to Trauma
Intrusive Symptoms
Avoidance Behaviors
Negative Mood and Cognitive Alterations
Arousal/Reactivity Alterations
Duration of Symptoms
Functional Impairment
Treatment professionals also conduct tests to rule out that the disturbance is not caused by a medical condition or the psychological effects of alcohol, medications, and other substances.
Teen Trauma Treatment in Arizona
You should seek professional help for a traumatized teen in Arizona if you notice the following:
Severe emotional distress
Suicidal thoughts
Self-harm behaviors or ideations
Persistent fear or anxiety
Extreme flashbacks or intrusive thoughts
Intense physical symptoms, such as headaches and stomachaches
Regression
Significant relationship changes
Finding the Right Trauma Therapist in Arizona
At Nexus Teen Academy, our clinical team, led by Hannah Carr, has decades of experience working with adolescents and teen mental health care. We can provide your son or daughter with the support that they need to start to work through and overcome trauma that may be causing interference in their lives. Additionally, we will help treat other problems that may have started due to the underlying trauma.
Our therapists specialize in helping teens overcome problems like depression, anxiety, PTSD, and more.
An initial assessment to understand the nature and extent of teen trauma
Building a trusting relationship between the teenager and the therapist
Trauma-related psychoeducation. Topics to be covered include the effects of trauma on the mind and body and common trauma-related reactions.
Learning about emotional regulation techniques such as deep breathing, grounding exercises, and mindfulness
Processing/reprocessing of traumatic memories through techniques such as Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
Identifying trauma-related triggers
Developing a safety plan for situations where teens may feel overwhelmed or triggered.
Learning and exploring healthy coping strategies
Nexus Teen Academy's Role
You should contact Nexus Teen Academy if your teenager has been through a traumatic event. Here is how we help with teen trauma treatment:
Conducting comprehensive evaluations and assessments to identify the specific trauma and its severity and effects.
Administering tailored individual, group, and family therapies to help teens process traumatic memories.
Providing a safe, secure, and structured environment where teens can express themselves freely and process traumatic memories safely.
Preparing and implementing customized treatment plans based on teenagers’ unique needs and circumstances.
Teaching effective coping strategies, emotional regulation techniques, and problem-solving skills.
Providing academic assistance to help teens keep up with their studies as they receive treatment.
Engaging family members in the treatment process through family therapy and psychoeducation sessions.
Long-Term Recovery and Resilience
You can promote your teen’s long-term trauma recovery by building resilience and providing ongoing support and monitoring.
Building Resilience in Teens
Here are some tips to help with this:
Create a supportive and non-judgmental environment.
Foster connections with friends, family, and mentors.
Practice mindfulness and relaxation techniques.
Maintain a consistent daily routine.
Attend therapy sessions administered by licensed mental health professionals.
Engage in self-care activities.
Set small, manageable goals and work towards them.
Highlight and build upon your teenager’s strengths and past successes.
Help your teenager acquire training and resources on stress management and resilience-building activities.
Support Strategies for Parents
Supporting a teenager in trauma recovery can be mentally and physically draining for parents. Here are a few strategies to use if you are having difficulty helping your teenager:
Openly communicate with your teen. Remember to listen actively without judgment or interruption.
Educate yourself about trauma and its effects on teens. Remember to understand common coping mechanisms and reactions.
Seek professional help if you feel overwhelmed.
Prioritize self-care. Engage in healthy habits like regular sleep, exercise, and proper nutrition.
Obtain support from supportive friends and family.
Join a local or online parental support group.
Ongoing Support and Monitoring
Teens in trauma recovery need consistent support from therapists, caregivers, and peers. Such interventions provide a sense of safety, understanding, and validation and allow for early identification of triggers and setbacks. They also make it easy to intervene promptly and adjust therapeutic approaches for progress and relapse prevention. Here is how to ensure ongoing support and monitoring for teens:
Attending post-treatment therapy regularly.
Continued engagement in support groups with peers who have similar experiences.
Engaging in ongoing family therapy sessions with family members to address post-treatment issues.
Working closely with school counselors and psychologists for necessary resources, accommodations, and a safe processing space.
Regularly checking in with treatment professionals, trusted adults, and mentors.
Engaging in post-treatment self-care practices such as journaling, mindfulness, and expressive therapies.
Collaborating with healthcare professionals to monitor and adjust medication regimens as well as address co-occurring issues.
Developing and regularly reviewing safety plans to minimize risk and manage potential crises.
Get Help Today at Nexus Teen Academy
Dealing with trauma can be burdensome for teenagers. It’s, therefore, crucial to offer a calm presence and guide your teen through the complexities of dealing with traumatic events. However, you should know when to step back and seek professional help.
At Nexus Teen Academy, we offer specialized treatment and intervention for teens and families facing different mental health challenges, including trauma and PTSD. Our team has decades of experience working in the teen mental health field and can help you and your teenager through various challenges. Contact us for support and assistance and learn about our individualized treatment programs.
You should consider factors such as the severity and duration of your teen’s symptoms, pre-existing mental health conditions, and impairment in daily functioning to determine whether their trauma reaction is normal or indicative of a deeper issue. Normal reactions include temporary distress and mood/behavioral changes. A deeper problem is usually signified by symptoms such as persistent and severe flashbacks, self-destructive behaviors, and intense anxiety.
When your teenager undergoes a traumatic event, it is important to respond with empathy, support, and understanding. Begin by creating a safe space where they can retreat or express themselves, listen actively without imposing opinions, and validate their feelings and experiences.
You should monitor your teenager’s emotional well-being closely after a traumatic event. If their distress persists or intensifies, consider seeking professional help as soon as possible. Remember, prompt intervention can help your teenager process their traumatic memory and foster resilience.
Here are a few things teens can expect during a trauma assessment:
An initial interview for gathering background information
Standardized tests and questionnaires to assess symptoms
Observation of behavior and emotional responses
Note that psychological assessments for teen trauma aim to gain insight into the nature and severity of the trauma and its impact on functioning. The ultimate goal is to develop an effective treatment plan tailored to the teenager’s needs.
A traumatized teenager may refrain from talking about their experiences. If you ever find yourself in such a situation as a parent, here are a few strategies to employ:
Share your own (relevant) experiences for solidarity and encourage them to open up
Let them know that their experiences and emotions matter, even though you may not fully comprehend them
Ask open-ended questions to encourage dialogue
Do not push them to talk or share if they are not ready
Stay attentive to their verbal and non-verbal cues
Avoid criticizing or judging their choices, emotions, and experiences
Five honest questions. You’ll get a clear read on where things stand, and a licensed counselor can walk you through the next step. Private, no obligation.
Your reading
Here’s where things stand
If your teen is in immediate danger, call or text 988 or 911 now.
Steps to Take After Your Arizona Teen’s Traumatic Event
FACT CHECKED
The Nexus Teen Academy editorial and clinical team is dedicated to providing informative and accurate content to help families who are struggling with adolescent behavioral health problems. The editorial team works directly with the clinical team to ensure information is accurate and up-to-date.
To do this, our team uses the following editorial guidelines:
Clinically reviewed by Executive Director Hannah Carr-Unquera, LPC
Executive Director Hannah Carr-Unquera, LPC
Hannah graduated from Arizona State University with her Bachelor’s in Psychology and Master’s in Counseling and is a Licensed Professional Counselor in Arizona. She began her work as a therapist 12 years ago in South Phoenix with an intensive outpatient program for teens and their families. She joined Nexus in the residential program as the clinical director, eventually being promoted to the executive director, creating and building the clinical program structure and a strong culture focused on redirecting the trajectory of young lives.
Published By Nexus Teen Academy
Nexus Teen Academy
The Nexus Teen Academy Editorial Staff is composed of writers, editors, and clinical reviewers with many years of experience writing about mental health and behavioral health treatment. Our team utilizes peer-reviewed, clinical studies from sources like SAMHSA to ensure we provide the most accurate and current information.
Published On May 21, 2024
Table of Contents
Up to 43% of teenagers experience at least one trauma in their lives, and more will have a difficult time processing traumatic events and memories. Traumatic events can be lethal, leaving scars that don’t heal without love, support, and care. “My Teen Has Been Through a Traumatic Event- What Should I Do?” is the most common question parents ask our counselors. Ensuring your teen feels safe and supported, openly communicating, and seeking professional help is the sine qua non. At Nexus Teen Academy, we understand the challenges and complexities of teen trauma. We provide therapies, personalized adolescent PTSD residential treatment, support interventions, and resources to help teens and family members deal with traumatic events, experiences, and memories. If your child needs help overcoming a traumatic event, contact our team today and learn more about how our unique programming can help you and your teen.
Understanding Trauma in Teenagers
Teen trauma is caused by events that a teenager perceives as overwhelmingly shocking, scary, or dangerous. Let’s find out what constitutes a traumatic event:
What Constitutes a Traumatic Event?
Traumatic events are incidences capable of causing significant physical, emotional, and psychological harm. Such events usually threaten a teenager’s life or safety and may include abuse, natural disasters, violence, life-threatening illnesses, or accidents. Here are a few components of a traumatic event:
Immediate Effects of Teen Trauma on Mental and Physical Health
Teen trauma often affects teenagers physically and mentally. Here are some of the most common effects:
Mental Effects
Physical Effects
Critical First Steps After A Teen Traumatic Event
Here are a few essential steps to take once you realize your teenager has undergone a traumatic experience:
Creating a Safe Environment
Creating a safe environment for a traumatized teen is vital for making your child feel comfortable and safe. Here is how you can make the home a haven for a traumatized teen:
Most importantly, learn more about trauma and its effects to understand your teenager’s experiences and needs better.
Emotional First Aid
Here is what you can say or do in the initial hours or days after your teenager experiences a traumatic event:
Identifying Signs of Increased Trauma in Your Teen
You should monitor your teenager in the initial days after a traumatic event to identify any signs of increased trauma and respond accordingly. Here are the behavioral and emotional indicators of teen trauma and when to worry.
Behavioral and Emotional Indicators
Behavioral and emotional indicators of teen trauma include the following:
When to Worry About Teen Trauma
You should seek immediate professional intervention if you notice the following signs in your teenager:
Coping Mechanisms for Teens and Families
Here are some traumatic teen coping strategies that you can use to help your child:
Maintaining Routine and Structure
Structure and routine offer a sense of normalcy and security, which are crucial for a traumatized teen. Here is how you can maintain routine and structure for your teenager:
Remember to include regular exercise in your teen’s daily routine to help reduce stress and improve their mood.
Social Support
Social support during trauma recovery helps reduce feelings of isolation, fosters a sense of belonging, and guarantees emotional support for teens. Here is how teens recovering from trauma can obtain social support:
Seeking Professional Help for Teen Trauma
Seeking professional help facilitates a safe and supportive environment for traumatized teens to express their feelings and process emotions. Therapeutic techniques such as trauma-focused therapy and cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) help teens develop healthy coping mechanisms, regain a sense of control and stability, and reduce symptoms of depression and anxiety.
The Role of Psychological Assessment
Psychological assessment comprehensively evaluates a teenager’s emotional, behavioral, and cognitive functioning. It is conducted through interviews, questionnaires, and standardized tests and helps determine factors such as the severity of trauma-related disorders and any other co-occurring conditions. It also helps identify specific triggers and symptoms and understand the teenager’s resilience and coping mechanisms. More importantly, it offers a basis for creating a personalized, tailored, and effective treatment plan.
Assessment and Diagnosis
At Nexus Teen Academy, we can help with the assessment and diagnosis process to better understand your teen’s situation. During the assessment, we will evaluate the extent of your teen’s trauma and if it has developed into PTSD. Moreover, we will look at underlying factors or issues, such as substance abuse, depression, and more, that may be contributing to your teen’s situation as well.
If you want to learn more about our assessment process, contact our team today, and we will walk you through how it works.
Diagnostic Criteria for PTSD and Other Trauma-Related Disorders
Here are a few things trauma specialists consider when diagnosing PTSD and other
trauma-related disorders:
Treatment professionals also conduct tests to rule out that the disturbance is not caused by a medical condition or the psychological effects of alcohol, medications, and other substances.
Teen Trauma Treatment in Arizona
You should seek professional help for a traumatized teen in Arizona if you notice the following:
Finding the Right Trauma Therapist in Arizona
At Nexus Teen Academy, our clinical team, led by Hannah Carr, has decades of experience working with adolescents and teen mental health care. We can provide your son or daughter with the support that they need to start to work through and overcome trauma that may be causing interference in their lives. Additionally, we will help treat other problems that may have started due to the underlying trauma.
Our therapists specialize in helping teens overcome problems like depression, anxiety, PTSD, and more.
What to Expect During Therapy Sessions
Each situation is different, but here are a few general steps to give you an idea of how these therapy sessions may go:
Nexus Teen Academy's Role
You should contact Nexus Teen Academy if your teenager has been through a traumatic event. Here is how we help with teen trauma treatment:
Long-Term Recovery and Resilience
You can promote your teen’s long-term trauma recovery by building resilience and providing ongoing support and monitoring.
Building Resilience in Teens
Here are some tips to help with this:
Support Strategies for Parents
Supporting a teenager in trauma recovery can be mentally and physically draining for parents. Here are a few strategies to use if you are having difficulty helping your teenager:
Ongoing Support and Monitoring
Teens in trauma recovery need consistent support from therapists, caregivers, and peers. Such interventions provide a sense of safety, understanding, and validation and allow for early identification of triggers and setbacks. They also make it easy to intervene promptly and adjust therapeutic approaches for progress and relapse prevention. Here is how to ensure ongoing support and monitoring for teens:
Get Help Today at Nexus Teen Academy
Dealing with trauma can be burdensome for teenagers. It’s, therefore, crucial to offer a calm presence and guide your teen through the complexities of dealing with traumatic events. However, you should know when to step back and seek professional help.
At Nexus Teen Academy, we offer specialized treatment and intervention for teens and families facing different mental health challenges, including trauma and PTSD. Our team has decades of experience working in the teen mental health field and can help you and your teenager through various challenges. Contact us for support and assistance and learn about our individualized treatment programs.
Frequently Asked Questions
You should consider factors such as the severity and duration of your teen’s symptoms, pre-existing mental health conditions, and impairment in daily functioning to determine whether their trauma reaction is normal or indicative of a deeper issue. Normal reactions include temporary distress and mood/behavioral changes. A deeper problem is usually signified by symptoms such as persistent and severe flashbacks, self-destructive behaviors, and intense anxiety.
When your teenager undergoes a traumatic event, it is important to respond with empathy, support, and understanding. Begin by creating a safe space where they can retreat or express themselves, listen actively without imposing opinions, and validate their feelings and experiences.
Some of the most recommended techniques for teens who have experienced a traumatic event are:
You should monitor your teenager’s emotional well-being closely after a traumatic event. If their distress persists or intensifies, consider seeking professional help as soon as possible. Remember, prompt intervention can help your teenager process their traumatic memory and foster resilience.
Here are a few things teens can expect during a trauma assessment:
Note that psychological assessments for teen trauma aim to gain insight into the nature and severity of the trauma and its impact on functioning. The ultimate goal is to develop an effective treatment plan tailored to the teenager’s needs.
Here are a few ways to communicate with a traumatized teen without pushing them away:
Here are a few signs of improvement to look out for in a teenager during trauma recovery:
A traumatized teenager may refrain from talking about their experiences. If you ever find yourself in such a situation as a parent, here are a few strategies to employ:
Dealing with teen trauma can be scary. However, here are a few mistakes to avoid:
Here are a few support groups and resources that can help parents and teens deal with trauma: