I love the therapeutic approach taken by the Attachment and Trauma Center.  After they have a few sessions with the child to get to know them they do a timeline and write the child's life story.

The timeline gives them a basic overview of how the child views the events in their life and also gives insight into the big things that have impacted them.  From this timeline they talk about detailed events.

When Therapist C told Younger Boy we were going to make a timeline so we could write his life story he immediately hung his head.  It was pretty obvious he didn't want to go there.  She explained how if he made his life story ultimately he would feel better about the things that had happened in his life...not happy about them, but maybe they wouldn't control him anymore.

He agreed to make his timeline.

All I can say is WOW....there are is so much trauma there.  In his perspective he has been in at least FOUR abusive homes.  He blames Older Boy for him being in foster care.  He thinks he has used all of his chances in life.  The words coming out of his mouth and his view on his life devastated me.  There were a number of events I had never heard mention of.  Some I had.

Next week we will start the actual story. 

Therapist C told him at the end of therapy she had an assignment for him.  He is to leave those memories on her sheet of paper this week and be busy being a kid.  She told him sometimes those memories are tricky and they sneek off her paper and back into kids minds, but she told him if that happens he should talk to me immediately.

Prayers for therapy and this approach.  It makes COMPLETE sense to me.

Praises for finding ATCN.