When a teenager or child has been sexually assaulted and experiences complex trauma, therapy is essential to process the trauma, reduce distress and return to functioning in the various circles of life depending on age.
The in-depth therapeutic process takes place over an extended period of time and includes treatment/guidance for parents. Young patients receive treatment in talks, as well as art and play therapy, but sometimes even these are not enough because the trauma is expressed not only in the mind but also in the body.
We sometimes see that these young children and teenaged victims are jumpy, excessively volatile, and restless – all indications of emotional flooding and an inability to regulate feelings. Sexual trauma is also characterized by states of emotional and physical disconnection, so treatment needs to include references to the body.
To answer the need, the therapeutic staff at Bayit Cham’s Belibeinu Centers recently completed training on SI – Somatic Intervention, which provided them with yet another important skill for their professional toolbox to maximize therapeutic effectiveness. The training course took place over a time span of two years, facilitated by the amazing clinical social worker, Ricky Bernstein, an expert in her field.
SI is a tool that allows the patient space and control over his/her body and ways to regulate emotions by mindfulness, observation, and body awareness (without physical contact, of course).
During the course, the therapists experimented on themselves to experience first-person how the intervention works and how it affects and significantly promotes treatment.
They will soon receive certificates and have already begun to apply SI in treatment.
Good luck! We are proud of you for your vital professional work, carried out with utmost sensitivity 🙏❤️
Belibeinu is a treatment center for children and teenaged victims of sexual trauma (ages 4-18) in Tel Aviv, Ramat Gan, and Givatayim. You are welcome to contact us: 073-2800-587 belibenu.t@bch.org.il
