Treatment of a 12-Year-Old with Trauma

The article "Treatment of a 12-Year-Old with Trauma" by Roger Keizerstein discusses the therapeutic journey of Colin, a high-achieving 12-year-old boy diagnosed with diabetes at age 10, which led to increasing anxiety and depression. Through a detailed initial consultation and subsequent sessions, the therapist explores Colin’s acceptance and management of his diabetes, and identifies the traumatic impact of his diagnosis experience. Cognitive therapy techniques, including re-framing the diagnosis event and introducing relaxation methods, help Colin manage his anxiety. The therapy focuses on gradually addressing traumatic memories, understanding triggers, and employing deliberate thinking to stabilize emotional responses. The therapeutic interventions ultimately lead to Colin feeling better and deciding he no longer needs therapy, demonstrating the efficacy of the treatment approach for lower-case trauma.

  • Understand the impact of a sudden, life-threatening diagnosis on a child's mental health.

  • Explore the significance of thorough social, developmental, and medical history-taking in pediatric therapy.

  • Learn cognitive techniques for re-framing traumatic experiences to alleviate anxiety.

  • Identify effective relaxation methods to help children manage anxiety related to chronic illness.

  • Recognize the importance of addressing and gradually exposing traumatic memories in therapy to prevent re-traumatization.

  • Appreciate the role of deliberate thinking exercises in calming the emotional centers of the brain and reducing anxiety.

Catching the Wave

The article "Catching the Wave" by Ken Benau presents a case study of a patient named Jessie, who initially sought therapy to understand her social challenges and anxiety, which were believed to be linked to high-functioning Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Over two years of bi-monthly sessions, Jessie made significant progress in overcoming her social anxieties and developing self-confidence through a combination of mind reading and mentalizing techniques. The therapy sessions focused on exploring Jessie's pro-being pride, a concept introduced by Benau that involves celebrating one's authentic self. A key moment in Jessie's therapy involved using a creative method called "Benau’s Triptych Method of Facilitating Memory Reconsolidation," which helped Jessie reframe her past, present, and future experiences of joy, freedom, and expansiveness. This approach, combined with Jessie's willingness to engage in new social activities, led to a reduction in her social anxiety and a deeper connection with her true self.

  • Understand the concept of pro-being pride and its therapeutic significance in promoting self-acceptance and confidence.

  • Explore the role of mind reading and mentalizing techniques in reducing social anxiety and improving interpersonal relationships.

  • Examine the therapeutic process and methods used to address social challenges associated with high-functioning Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD).

  • Analyze the impact of early emotional non-attunement and parental neglect on adult social functioning and emotional health.

  • Apply "Benau’s Triptych Method of Facilitating Memory Reconsolidation" to help clients reframe their past, present, and future experiences.

  • Recognize the importance of therapist-client relational dynamics, including the therapist's genuine delight and positive regard, in the healing proce

Course curriculum

    1. The Treatment of a 12-Year-Old with Trauma DOWNLOAD

    2. The Treatment of a 12-Year-Old With Trauma (Part 1)

    3. The Treatment of a 12-Year-Old With Trauma (Part 2)

    4. 12-Year-Old Quiz

    1. CASE STUDY "Catching The Wave" by Ken Benau

    2. Case Study

    3. Case Study Quiz

Authors

Roger Keizerstein

Roger Keizerstein, LCSW, is a child psychotherapist and a certified clinical trauma professional. He has been in private practice in East Setauket, NY, for 40 years. His stories and essays have appeared in Newsday, The New York Times, The Southampton Press and Listen Magazine. He lectures on trauma and post-traumatic stress throughout the New York metropolitan area.

Ken Benau

Ken Benau, Ph.D. earned his doctorate in clinical psychology with a subspecialty in adult psychotherapy at Georgia State University in Atlanta, GA, in 1988. He has been a California licensed clinical psychologist since 1990. Dr. Benau maintains a private practice in Kensington, CA, located in the SF Bay Area. He provides individual, couple, and family therapy, professional consultation, and training. Dr. Benau has expertise in working with children and adults with various learning and developmental differences, including those living with ADHD and high functioning Autism Spectrum Disorder. He has a special interest and expertise in shame and pride-informed psychotherapy with survivors of relational trauma, and has written several peer-reviewed articles with that theme. Dr. Benau’s forthcoming book, Shame, Pride, and Relational Trauma: Concepts and Psychotherapy, will be published by Routledge in March 2022. For many years, Ken worked in school settings and outpatient psychotherapy with children, teens and young adults with special psychosocial and learning needs, including those living with learning differences, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Now he sees primarily adults in individual and couple therapy, and over the last 15 years has enjoyed working with early relational trauma survivors and their loved ones. Ken’s approach to psychotherapy can best be described as ecumenical and striving toward integration. Having been in the mental health field for almost 40 years, and as an avid student of the history of psychotherapy, Ken is most comfortable with approaches that are experiential, constructivist, psychodynamic, relational and attachment-based, emotion-focused, neurobiologically informed, systemic, narrative-/solution-oriented, and more broadly, strength-based.

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