Many children and young people in foster care have to live with the consequences of having lived through traumatic experiences throughout their lives.
But what does trauma mean?, and how can this footprint affect their neurodevelopment?
Natàlia Prades, psychologist expert in trauma therapy and director of Psicointegra de Suara Cooperativa, explains it to you in the conference “Early, complex and cumulative trauma: the brain effects of childhood abuse” that took place on May 23, 2022, at Palau Macaya within the cycle of conferences promoted by the Department of Social Rights.
These sessions had the participation of expert professionals, to reflect on violence towards children, emphasizing the protection of their rights, the care of their integrity and the various approaches necessary for prevention, the intervention, and repair of possible traumatic experiences.
Humans are one of the mammals that when we are born are more immature and need more parental care. Scientific studies have shown that relationships with primary caregivers are significantly involved in the organization, maturation, and brain development of children, and at the same time have an impact on their adult life. What happens when primary caregivers, for whatever reason, lack the parenting skills necessary to provide a secure bond? How does this affect the child's brain? What long-term consequences can it have?
Despite this, trauma repair is possible thanks to brain plasticity and epigenetic regulation. If these young people and children are provided with a safe bond through the people around them: educators, foster families and professionals during their therapeutic process, they can acquire new strategies to face these experiences and reduce the negative effects on throughout his life.
In fact, therapeutic spaces and the support of teams like Psicointegra provide self-knowledge tools and strategies to retrace these traces of trauma, promote brain and cognitive resilience, as well as build healthier and more adaptive behaviors.
Natalia Prades Psychologist and trauma therapist
Responsible for ETCA and EVAMI Terres de l'Ebre. Specialized technical support service for the Integrated Unit. Manager PSICOINTEGRA.
