Opening up a Dialogue Through Reading

Has your child experienced grief, trauma, or is struggling with big emotions?

For example, have they recently lost a loved one and are struggling with adjusting to the loss? Have they suffered from abuse and are not able to cope with the intense emotions it may have brought on such as anger or fear? Or maybe they have witnessed plenty of parental arguments, and are struggling with adjusting to a recent divorce.  Are you as a parent struggling with helping them express their emotions that they have been internalizing? Talking about and even understanding emotions can be extremely difficult for children, especially younger ones. Oftentimes, having a book they can relate to is a wonderful way to help them feel understood as well as helpful with opening up discussions. The book “A Terrible Thing Happened” by Margaret Holmes, is a story about a boy who had witnessed something terrible and has begun experiencing symptoms from this trauma, such as changes in behavior, nightmares, and increased anger, sadness, and anxiety. This book is a great resource for parents and children who are beginning therapy, as it explains therapy in a simple way for children to understand, as well as explains how therapy can help!

Many times, reading a book like this with your little one before entering therapy can help ease some fear in them as well as normalize the idea of attending therapy!

Alexa,
Child & Adolescent Therapist