Problem:
Using the approach of "what has happened to you?" rather than "what's wrong with you?" helps avoid the negative connotation associated with the word wrong. Reducing shame, feelings of failure, or victim-blaming promotes engagement. Discussing a treatment plan with a client can establish goals together based on input that provides the client with a sense of autonomy and helps switch the mindset from the events to how they can control the ways those events affect them. Context for engagement question: Trauma is not the event but how you respond to it. Trauma overwhelms the coping mechanisms sometimes causing a person to shut down. They are not able to engage or learn because the primitive parts of the brain are focused on survival beyond the initial threat of the traumatic event. In the video, Dr. Bessel van der Kolk said, "At least 1 in 8 children in America witness physical violence between their parents." It is reasonable to expect that those events will impact a young child's ability to focus during the school day. A teacher without context may assume the child is simply not paying attention. Engagement question: In what ways could uninformed members of a child's community, such as a teacher or school counselor, unintentionally contribute to a child's feeling of shame or self-blame when circumstances at home are beyond their control? Respond to this classmate in paragraph form answering the question on our discussion board. Need Assignment Help?