Foundations of TraumaPlay

Developed by Paris Goodyear-Brown (2009), the TraumaPlay model is a flexible, prescriptive, sequential play therapy model developed for children who have experienced trauma. TraumaPlay looks at the intersection of the neurobiology of play along with the neurobiology of trauma, and the power of how one can heal the other. Grounded in attachment theory, this treatment approach enables children to process difficult emotions, reconstruct memories, and heal from traumatic experiences.

Seven Phases of TraumaPlay

1. Enhancing Safety and Security: The primary focus is to make the child feel safe. This is achieved through routine, setting boundaries, and ensuring a secure environment for the child to express themselves.

2. Assessment and Augmentation of Coping: Here, the therapist assesses the child's current coping strategies and expands adaptive coping before opening up potential movement through the child's trauma content.

3. Soothing the Physiology: In this stage, children are taught how to recognize more deeply when they are moving out of their optimal arousal zone to enhance self-regulation to return so they can calm themselves and return to this zone. Caregivers are also enlisted in this stage as "soothing partners" to provide co-regulation.

4. Increasing Emotional Literacy: As children move through the stages of TraumaPlay, it is imperative that children have an understanding of emotions so that healthy verbalization and emotional expression can occur. In this stage, the therapist works with the child to increase the child's capacity for verbalizing emotions and connecting them to real-life situations.

5. Play-Based Gradual Exposure: Otherwise known as Posttraumatic Play. Here, children are encouraged to retell their traumatic experiences through play, thereby allowing them to process and make sense of what happened. In this stage children engage in experiential mastery play to overcome difficult emotions and experiences tied to the traumatic event.

6. Addressing the Thought Life: This stage addresses and restructures any unhelpful cognitions that remain and works to enhance the child's adaptive cognitions.

7. Making Meaning of the Post-Trauma Self: The trauma story is integrated into the child's larger life narrative and is highlighted as only a part of the child's life story rather than the whole. Skills learned throughout therapy are reinforced, ensuring that the child continues to use these tools in their daily life. This phase also marks the end of the formal therapeutic process and celebrates the child's progress and resilience.

Benefits of TraumaPlay

• Enhanced Expression: Since children might struggle to verbalize their feelings, play offers an intuitive medium for them to communicate their emotions and experiences in a psychologically safe way.

• Empowerment: Through structured play, children can gain a sense of control over their traumatic experiences, fostering resilience and self-efficacy.

• Skill Development: Children learn vital emotional literacy skills, coping mechanisms and self-regulation strategies that will aid them throughout their lives.

• Bonding: A strong therapeutic relationship is cultivated between the caregiver and child providing a foundation of trust and security.

Incorporating Parents and Caregivers

TraumaPlay recognizes the importance of involving parents and caregivers in the therapeutic process. Their involvement not only supports the child's trauma healing but also equips them with tools to foster a nurturing environment at home. Family sessions often form part of the TraumaPlay approach, emphasizing collaboration, understanding, and mutual recovery.