Parenting Through Trauma | Support Your Child's Healing Today

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RESOURCES FEEDBACK

Even on normal days, parenting
is hard…

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After a trauma, parenting changes. Kids have new needs, and what’s most important to them changes too. But parents often feel confused and uncertain about what to do next.

This podcast features four parents who have really gone through difficult times. They’ve lived through trauma, they’ve guided their children, and they have a lot of wisdom to share.

Two therapists, Erin Barnett and Becky Parton, will be your narrators and your guides. They will get you started on your child’s healing journey, and they’ll help you heal too. You’ll feel more confident that you can support your kids in the way that they need.

Listen Here

EPISODE 1

In the first episode, you’ll meet Erin and Becky, your hosts. We’ll talk about what trauma is and how people can heal. You’ll also find out what to expect in the rest of the podcast.

TRANSCRIPT

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EPISODE 2

After a car accident, our guest, Tracy has to respond to her daughter Amy’s difficult emotions, like fear and sadness. Amy needs extra comfort, and she acts out in ways that are hard for Tracy.

TRANSCRIPT

“She became excessively attached to me, separation anxiety, wanting to know where I was going, when I'd be back, like down to the minute.”

“When I could reframe what I was seeing and say … “Okay, what is the need? What is the problem behind this?” … we were able to grow and move a lot.”

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EPISODE 3

Emily helps her daughter get better after she was sexually abused when she was very young.

TRANSCRIPT

“She would struggle to do anything, like go to the store. She'd be worried if there was a truck outside or if she saw a man.”

“So as the years have passed, it has become easier. I think that that is so important to realize that what your life is right now is not what your life is going to be.”

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EPISODE 4

Yvonne and her six kids don’t have enough money and sometimes don’t even have a home. This is very hard on her kids.

TRANSCRIPT

“The day I had to put my stuff in storage and move into a shelter, because that's the story that they'll still tell. That was the hardest, the absolute hardest, hardest.”

“And that's what I'm now giving my children the opportunity to do, is move through this beauty of what created them and how it came to be.”

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EPISODE 5

Niz and her children have been through a series of violent traumas, but she’s made enormous progress in helping them heal.

TRANSCRIPT

“How do you help children who are up all night scared of, you know, the monster that's going to come get them and the monster is their father?”

“I recognize that kids can't express what they need, but they can tell you through their actions. They can tell you through their breath, the way that they breathe. When they cuddle up to you and you listen to their heartbeat, their hearts will tell you. We just have to open ourselves up and listen to everything that they're telling us without words.”

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EPISODE 6

Erin and Becky review the wisdom shared by our four guests.

TRANSCRIPT

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Key Takeaways

We've produced a one-page downloadable document that lists the most important ideas from the podcast ... the same ideas that we talked through in Episodes 1 and 6.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

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Meet the Hosts

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Erin Barnett

Erin Barnett, PhD, is a faculty member at the Dartmouth Trauma Interventions Research Center. Erin provides direct clinical care in a local community mental health center, and she has provided clinical supervision and consultation to clinicians since becoming licensed in 2010. She is certified in two evidence-based psychotherapies for children and families. She has led trauma-informed training and workforce initiatives within various child-serving sectors, including residential treatment facilities, child welfare, schools, and homeless shelters.

Becky Parton

Becky Parton, LICSW, works for Dartmouth Trauma Interventions Research Center. Becky also teaches at the University of New Hampshire for their Social Work program and is involved with the National Association of Social Workers New Hampshire chapter. In the past Becky provided direct clinical care in community mental health and focused on working with young children, teens, and providing trauma-informed services. Becky now provides training and consultation to other clinicians and child serving providers in a wide variety of settings, with a focus on building resilience in kids and communities.