The road to recovery: helping children cope with trauma and abuse

Traumatic or abusive events, such as a bereavement or sexual abuse, can cause intense, distressing or even confusing feelings.  

No child should have to face these alone – and this is where our specialist service Orchard Mosaic can offer them a shoulder to lean on.   

Charlotte McCrae, Art Therapist, and Amy Lavelle, Therapy Team Manager, tell us more about Orchard Mosaic and the ground-breaking work it does. 

What is trauma? 

Trauma can come in many forms but Amy describes it as “any event that overwhelms a person's capacity to cope.” 

Physical or sexual abuse can be very traumatic for children. Frightening events like a car accident or a bereavement can also take a mental toll. And ongoing stress, such as bullying or the effects of poverty, can be traumatic too. A study by Kings College London suggests that almost one in three (31%) young people may have had a traumatic childhood experience by the time they’re 18.  

Traumatic events can happen at any age and it’s deeply personal. “What trauma might be to one person, might not be to another,” Amy explains. “One child might lose their mum and it won’t impact their functioning but you will have another child who will really struggle with that.” 

Unsurprisingly, trauma effects everyone differently too. Some young people who have experienced trauma may experience flashbacks or panic attacks, some may feel depressed or on edge, whilst others may develop unhealthy coping habits, such as self-harming or disordered eating. 

“They might struggle with issues such as anxiety, depression, sleep problems and even post-traumatic stress disorder” says Amy. “And if they have instability at home or difficult family dynamics it can really exasperate those problems.” 

Likewise, if they told someone about what happened and they weren’t listened to or supported, it can make them feel worse. "Sexual abuse induces a lot of shame,” says Amy. “There's also secondary trauma that comes with sexual abuse: the primary trauma is the abuse itself, and the secondary trauma comes from not being believed.” 

The road to recovery 

Although trauma can have long-lasting effects, there is hope. With the right support and coping techniques, children can recover.  

Amy points out that “children who have a supportive family network are able to cope a lot better with adverse life events.” But often children who have experienced trauma might need additional support from services such as Orchard Mosaic. 

Orchard Mosaic provides therapy sessions for children. It may be individual or group therapy, depending on their needs. This gives young people a safe space to explore challenging feelings and find healthier ways to cope. 

“Every day is different and every child brings their own history,” explains Charlotte. “They might divulge things about their history or family that they’ve never even thought about sharing before. It’s very special to be able to be a part of that.” 

For Charlotte, one of the best things about Orchard Mosaic is that it’s child-focused. “Ultimately, it’s all about the children and what works best for them,” she says. 

Validation and acceptance 

Validating what a child has gone through is one of the first steps to recovery. Because a child’s mental health struggles are just as important as any adult’s.  

“Children’s brains are developing rapidly,” Amy explains. “They struggle to regulate their emotions and they haven’t developed resilience to deal with challenging experiences. Everything’s heightened. So if you add mental health struggles or trauma into the mix, it can be a real challenge.” 

The good news is that we’re seeing more open conversations about children’s mental health — and the team at Orchard Mosaic are helping to lead the conversation.  

“Children don’t have to wear a mask anymore,” Amy says. “They can take it off and be vulnerable because there are adults that are willing to support them.”