Advice for Parents to Help Children Overcome Trauma & Abuse

“They need routine, they need protection, they need biblical truth, they need things labeled as what's God-honoring and not God-honoring behavior.” -Darby Strickland. Darby A. Strickland, MDiv, is a faculty member and counselor at the Christian Counseling & Education Foundation (CCEF). She is a contributor to Becoming a Church That Cares Well for the Abused and author of Is It Abuse? A Biblical Guide to Identifying Domestic Abuse and Helping Victims, the children’s book Something Scary Happened, and the mini book When Children Experience Trauma. She writes regularly for the Journal of Biblical Counseling. Darby and her husband, John, have three children. During this episode, Darby discusses the effects of trauma and abuse on children and offers valuable insight into how parents can support their children through difficult times. She shares tips on addressing trauma with children, the importance of open communication, and the role of faith in comforting and guiding children through tough situations. Additionally, she provides information about online counseling resources for families in need. Key Takeaways: Encouragement for parents to face hard truths with their children and the importance of addressing behavior as a clue to the child's struggles. Advice on how parents can communicate with their children about traumatic events. The influence of parental reactions on a child's experience of trauma. The importance of routine, protection, and biblical truth for traumatized children. Something Scary Happened can help children overcome fear by learning how to express and understand their fears. The free resources, blogs, and journal articles are available on ccef.org. When Children Experience Trauma is a mini book that can help parents help their children navigate their fears, guide them through their distress, and assist their recovery after a traumatic event. Darby’s Website, Facebook, and Instagram. RCK social media: Facebook Join our Facebook community group! Instagram Pinterest Love this episode? Please leave us a rating/review and share this episode with a friend! You can find a list of all our episodes here.