New Lifehouse Academy Treats Teen Girls with PTSD
Parents looking for effective therapy methods to help a struggling young teen girl can learn about how we treat Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder at our therapeutic boarding school in Oklahoma.
New Lifehouse Academy for Teen Girls understands that parents want to send their girl to a safe, monitored environment where she receives personal care, and individual therapies that help heal emotional and mental disorders–whether brought on by trauma, foster care, adoption or family genetics.
And while the young teen girl enrolls our therapeutic boarding school for counseling, treatment, and improving academic/life skills, New Lifehouse also helps teen girls struggling with post-traumatic stress disorder improve their mental and physical health.
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder in Children and Teens
“Many people will experience traumatic events in their lives, including children and teens. Some researchers estimate that as many as 40% of children and adolescents will experience at least one traumatic event in their lifetime. While most people are able to “bounce back” from the event after a few days, weeks, or months, others struggle to cope with the experience and the memory of the trauma. These people, including children and teens, can develop what is known as PTSD, or Post-traumatic stress disorder.”
“Traumatic events often include physical violence, an accident, a natural disaster, war, or sexual abuse. Children or teens may have experienced these events themselves, or they may have witnessed them happen to someone else.”
Common PTSD Symptoms in Children and Teens
Avoiding situations that make them recall the traumatic event
Experiencing nightmares or flashbacks about the trauma
Playing in a way that repeats or recalls the trauma
Acting impulsively or aggressively
Feeling nervous or anxious frequently
Experiencing emotional numbness
Having trouble focusing at school
Treating PTSD in Children and Teens
Here are some common treatment options for children and teens with Post-traumatic stress disorder.
Cognitive behavioral therapy – A trauma-focused CBT therapist helps a child identity and correct irrational or illogical thoughts they might have about the trauma itself or people and situations they encounter in everyday life. CBT also typically includes psycho-education about relaxation and coping techniques for stress.
Play therapy – This type of therapy can work especially well for younger children who struggle to communicate their reactions to the trauma and understanding of what happened. Play therapists use art therapy, games, and other interventions to help a child process a trauma and cope resiliently with life.
Eye moment desensitization and reprocessing – EMDR is a technique that incorporates guided eye movement exercises while a child recalls the traumatic event and works through cognitions and emotional responses they have about it.
Medication – There is no medication that “cures” PTSD, but sometimes antidepressants and anti-anxiety medication can help relieve symptoms in some children while they are also seeing a therapist.
“PTSD symptoms frequently co-occur with other types of mental illness or lead to other issues with children and teens, including risky behaviors, and self-injury. These issues may need to be addressed in treatment as well to protect your child and help them achieve a full recovery.”
New Lifehouse Gives Teen Girls Healthy Ways to Heal PTSD
That’s why New Lifehouse treats girls suffering from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. Therapists address your teen’s mental and behavioral issues, and create an individual treatment plan to follow at school, including therapy. We also provide her with nutritious meals, and healthy exercise and activities. We want each student to experience effective counseling and treatment, as well as improve daily life at school, and back home with family.
If you want to learn more about therapy and treatment for teen girls struggling with PTSD at our therapeutic boarding school, please call 918.435.8206 now.
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