A Journey of Healing and Trust
Case Study: Behavioural Intervention for Year 9 Student – A Journey of Healing and Trust
Background: The student, referred to as Sophie for confidentiality, is a Year 9 student who has faced significant past trauma, which has deeply impacted her emotional and behavioural responses. Sophie’s history of trauma has caused her to struggle with trust, leading to frequent emotional outbursts, withdrawal, and difficulties in forming positive relationships with peers and staff. These behavioural challenges have significantly hindered her ability to engage in school activities and meet academic expectations. Sophie’s lack of trust in others led to a cycle of disengagement and emotional distress, further complicating her social and academic life.
The Challenge: Sophie’s trauma history made it challenging for her to feel safe and supported within the school environment. She frequently exhibited defensive behaviours, such as refusing to participate in class, withdrawing from social interactions, and displaying resistance towards authority figures. Sophie’s reluctance to trust anyone, coupled with her emotional responses to stressful situations, created barriers to learning and personal growth. The need for a compassionate, structured intervention was clear, but so was the importance of establishing a safe and trusting relationship for effective intervention.
Intervention Approach: MiM designed a tailored intervention for Sophie, focusing on building trust, providing structure, and helping her develop routines and expectations that supported her well-being. The intervention was approached with patience, empathy, and consistency, understanding the complexity of Sophie’s trauma and the importance of allowing her to feel in control of the process.
Key components of the intervention included:
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Building a Safe and Trusting Relationship: The first step in the intervention was to create a space where Sophie could feel safe and supported. A MiM practitioner with experience in trauma-informed care worked one-on-one with Sophie, establishing a trusting and non-judgmental relationship. This practitioner focused on listening, validating Sophie’s experiences, and offering emotional support without pushing her boundaries.
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Trauma-Informed Support: Understanding Sophie’s past trauma was key to tailoring the intervention. The practitioner used trauma-informed strategies, allowing Sophie to set the pace of the intervention. There was a clear focus on maintaining emotional safety, acknowledging her feelings, and ensuring that Sophie felt in control of the decisions made about her support.
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Gradual Introduction of Structure: Sophie’s ability to cope with structure and routine had been severely impacted by her trauma. The intervention began by introducing small, manageable elements of structure into Sophie’s daily routine. This included setting predictable times for school activities, such as breaks and lessons, and creating clear, consistent expectations. Sophie was involved in this process, giving her a sense of agency in how her routine would unfold.
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Emotional Regulation Strategies: Sophie was introduced to a variety of emotional regulation techniques, such as mindfulness, using her words, and grounding techniques. These tools helped Sophie manage overwhelming emotions and navigate challenging situations without resorting to outbursts or withdrawal. The practitioner supported Sophie in practicing these techniques both in and out of school contexts.
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Encouraging Self-Reflection and Goal Setting: Sophie was encouraged to reflect on her feelings and behaviours through journaling and conversations with her practitioner. Together, they worked on setting achievable goals, such as increasing engagement in class, interacting with peers in a positive manner, or developing coping strategies for moments of anxiety. These goals were broken down into small, achievable steps to help Sophie feel a sense of accomplishment as she made progress.
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Collaborative Support with School Staff and Family: A collaborative approach involving Sophie’s teachers, school mentors, and family members was key to ensuring consistency and support across different environments. Regular communication ensured that everyone involved in Sophie’s life understood her needs and progress, allowing them to provide encouragement and adjust strategies as needed. MiM also managed to obtain a weekly apoointment with a well-being counsellor.
Results: Over the course of several weeks, Sophie began to show significant progress in both her emotional and social development.