I have experience working with youth and traumatized people. I feel I have a strong understanding of it but I am not a licensed social worker or psychologist. Should I not do certain interventions unless I have those extensive trainings?
Dr Judith Cohen:
Only licensed and appropriately trained mental health professionals should provide psychotherapy. In particular the use exposure therapy techniques such as creating a trauma narrative and in vivo exposure with children who have significant trauma symptoms should not be undertaken by individuals who do not have these qualifications. In appropriate provision of these interventions can lead to worsening of trauma symptoms. However adults have many other venues through which to provide support to traumatized children other than as psychotherapists. Parents, teachers, and other adults can support resilience building skills including those described in this presentation (psychoeducation about the impact of trauma; relaxation; affect expression and modulation; and cognitive coping) in a multitude of ways that are consistent with what was described here without providing formal psychotherapy.