An illustrated handout designed to help children and adolescents understand common reactions to trauma. It supports therapeutic conversations, psychoeducation, and assessment, using accessible language and visuals to facilitate engagement.
Offers theory, guidance, and prompts for mental health professionals. Downloads are in Fillable PDF format where appropriate.
Includes client-friendly guidance. Downloads are in Fillable PDF format where appropriate.
An editable Microsoft PowerPoint version of the resource.
This resource offers a developmentally appropriate overview of common trauma reactions in young people. Designed to support psychoeducation, it describes experiences such as fear, flashbacks, dissociation, and negative thoughts in simple terms.
The handout includes two versions: One with brief explanations of each symptom cluster; Another with blank boxes for clients to note or draw their own experiences. It can help clients make sense of their symptoms and give clinicians a shared language to explore distress. It may also be useful for educating families, carers, and school staff.
This tool supports early therapeutic engagement and trauma-informed care by:
For understanding symptoms like flashbacks, nightmares, and hyperarousal.
Use suggested questions to gently explore the client's experiences.
Invite the young person to review symptoms and share what fits for them.
Use the blank version to encourage self-expression through drawing or writing.
Provide to caregivers or schools as part of collaborative psychoeducation.
This resource draws on established clinical understanding that trauma can impact thoughts, emotions, bodily states, and behavior. Reactions such as dissociation, fear, and negative self-beliefs may reflect the nervous system's response to perceived threat and the brain’s efforts to process overwhelming experiences.
Psychoeducation can be particularly effective for young clients, helping them to name what they’re experiencing and to feel less alone or confused. Offering developmentally appropriate explanations allows young people to understand that their symptoms are common and not their fault.
The dual-format design supports both guided and client-led reflection. It can be used alongside trauma-focused approaches including cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR), and systemic work involving families or schools.
