Welcome to the final post in the Inside Out Special Needs Parenting series. The purpose of the series has been to equip parents to recognize and resolve their own past traumas so they can parent their children effectively. The previous article in this series, Resolving Past Trauma from the Inside Out Through Self-Understanding provided parents with resources they can use to process past traumas.

Sometimes, parents need a professional to help with accessing and resolving past trauma. Thankfully, several new treatments for trauma have recently been developed and tested and have been proven to be very effective. Effective treatments have one thing in common. They rely on more than talk to access and process past events. Here are a few promising therapies linked to more information about each one.

1. Somatic Experiencing
2. Guided Imagery, Creative Visualization, and Hypnosis
3. Neurofeedback
4. Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing

Each of these methods is explained in greater detail in Childhood Disrupted: How Your Biography Becomes Your Biology and How You Can Heal by Donna Jackshon Nakazawa. It’s an informative and interesting read. Another book that provides the most thorough summary of the history of trauma treatment and reviews each treatment method in great detail is The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma by Bessel van der Kolk. And here’s a final reminder about the book that led to the inside out parenting series–Parenting from the Inside Out: How a Deeper Self-Understanding Can Help You Raise Children Who Thrive by Daniel Seigel and Mary Hartzell.

Checking out these resources and resolving past trauma through therapy may seem like a daunting task. But remember, your primary motivation for doing the work is to raise kids who thrive. But as you work to make life better for them, the self-understanding you gain will make your life better, too.

Inside Out Special Needs Parenting, Part 1
Inside Out Special Needs Parenting, Part 2
Inside Out Special Needs Parenting, Part 3
Inside Out Special Needs Parenting, Part 4
Inside Out Special Needs Parenting, Part 5
Inside Out Special Needs Parenting, Part 6
Inside Out Special Needs Parenting, Part 7
Inside Out Special Needs Parenting, Part 8

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