August 1997
The Director - Features
Debriefing Children Who Experience a Trauma Death
Children who experience traumatic stress disorder find help with professional debriefing.
Like adults, children feel sorrow when a loved one passes on and must go through a grieving process. It is vital that these feelings are not ignored. Debriefing Children Who Experience a Trauma Death, written by Judy Oaks Davidson, Ph.D., identifies and explains how to counsel and help children cope with their loss.
Davidson explains how critical incident stress debriefing can help reduce the long-term potential of children developing post-traumatic stress disorder. The article reveals how this debriefing strategy allows children to process and release their thoughts and feelings about what has occurred and shows how to provide the security and support they need.
Davidson, the director of the Renew: Center for Personal Recovery in Berea, KY, is also a freelance consultant who provides community seminars and professional workshops on a national basis to bereaved persons or professionals who assist them in recovery.
