Alternatives For Girls is fortunate to have on staff certified trauma consultants who run programs for AFG participants that help victims understand the nature of grief and trauma, identify themselves as victims, go through the initial grieving process and help them become survivors.

For some AFG participants, health issues, surgery or body image are the sources of pain. For others, it is the loss of a family member or friend to terminal illness or sudden death. And some must contend with the aftermath of sexual abuse.

According to the National Institute for Trauma and Loss in Children (TLC), “any child old enough to laugh and to experience pleasure can also experience grief and trauma. Children need not understand what is happening to be terrorized by any…traumatic incident.”

With help from certified trauma consultants at AFG, each participant revisits what happened to her and learns how to heal, how to feel secure and how to become a survivor. They talk to the consultants and to peers. They may express their feelings through drawings, play, music, drama — any sensory-neural activity — because trauma is housed in an area of the brain that responds to these activities. Participants identify their emotions and learn how to relieve tension and build self-esteem.

It is not always apparent that a child is experiencing grief or trauma. Girls, in particular, have a tendency to utilize denial — to withdraw rather than to act out. Sometimes behaviors are obvious, such as when a child destroys property, gets into fights or demonstrates other aggressive behavior. TLC lists for parents the following warning signs. Seek help if a child:

• Has been exposed to traumatic incidents
• Is having difficulty with school work
• Appears anxious or agitated
• Is easily startled, jumpy
• Is having nightmares or trouble sleeping through the night
• Wants to be near you more than usual
• Won’t talk about what happened or won’t stop talking about what happened
• Shows no appropriate fear when in danger or appears to be more fearful than most children her age

For more information, please contact:

Jackie Tarnow
(313) 361-4000, ext. 258