Teen Trauma Treatment Near Dallas, Texas
Evidence-Based Teen Trauma Treatment Programs in the Dallas Area
Teen Trauma Treatment at BasePoint Academy
Situated in the heart of Texas, BasePoint Academy operates trauma treatment facilities for teenagers in the Dallas area, including in Arlington, Forney, Frisco, North Richland Hills, and McKinney. Our team of professionals specializes in trauma therapy and counseling, employing evidence-based approaches to help teenagers navigate through their challenges.
Whether you’re in Dallas, Garland, or Plano, our centers are readily accessible, ensuring that quality care is always within reach. We understand that each adolescent’s experience with trauma is unique, and we tailor our therapy sessions to meet their individual needs.
At BasePoint Academy, we believe every teenager deserves access to quality mental health care. That’s why we offer confidential trauma assessments for teens, a crucial first step toward healing. We accept various insurance policies for our trauma treatment services and also provide alternative payment options, ensuring our services are financially accessible.
If your teen is dealing with trauma, contact us for a mental health assessment and to learn more about evidence-based trauma therapy for teens in the Dallas area. Our team is here to support your teen as they work toward recovery and resilience, and help is just a phone call away.
What is Teen Trauma Treatment?
The word trauma can be used to describe both an event that is traumatic and the after-effects of experiencing a traumatic event. Whether it was caused by an accident, by the loss of a loved one, abuse/neglect, chronic bullying, or other interpersonal adverse events, trauma can often have devastating and prolonged effects.
At BasePoint Academy, we recognize that parents sometimes need assistance in helping their teen cope and heal from trauma. In fact, research shows a connection between childhood stress, trauma, and health often linking these adverse traumatic and childhood events to increased risk of chronic health conditions and risky health behaviors later in life.
Watching your child suffer from any trauma is not easy and you might feel helpless, worried, or alone. Whatever your situation, the treatment programs at BasePoint Academy can help your teen work through traumatic events with help from family members and a whole support system of qualified and caring professionals. We believe that when trauma is addressed early in adolescence, the long-term effects can be reduced to avoid risk later in life. Reach out to us to learn how teen trauma treatment at BasePoint Academy can provide the support your teenager needs to start healing.
How Does Trauma Affect Behavior in Teens?
Experiencing trauma can result in disruptive behavior, manifesting in various ways, one of which is acting out. This is a form of expressing distress through problematic or aggressive actions. Your child may become defiant, engage in risky behaviors, or display frequent outbursts. These actions are often a coping mechanism for overwhelming emotions and experiences they cannot yet process or articulate.
These behaviors are not just attempts to seek attention or rebel; they’re often signals of more profound emotional pain stemming from trauma. The causes of acting out behavior are multifaceted, especially when linked to trauma. Traumatic experiences, such as abuse, loss of a loved one, or witnessing violence, can significantly affect teenage emotional well-being. These events can lead to feelings of fear, helplessness, and confusion, which your teen might not know how to handle. As a result, they might resort to acting out to express this inner turmoil.
Recognizing these behaviors as cries for help rather than just misbehavior is crucial. Addressing the root cause and providing appropriate support and treatment can help your teen heal and develop healthier ways to cope with and articulate these challenging emotions. If your teenager is struggling to manage trauma-related behaviors, we can guide them toward healing and emotional stability.
Common Causes of Teen Trauma
Causes of trauma can vary from a one-time or short-term traumatic event to an invasive and interpersonal event. A traumatic event is physically or emotionally harmful and can have a lasting adverse impact. Trauma reactions may persist long after the event, and the intensity of physical and emotional responses can be overwhelming.
Teens can experience trauma after experiencing or witnessing the following:
- Car accidents
- Natural disaster
- Violent act
- A horrific accident
- Abuse/neglect
- Loss of a parent
- Domestic violence
- Sexual assault
- Chronic bullying
- Parent conflict
- Parent abandonment
- Physical violence
- Emotional distress caused by changes in the family dynamic, environment, or other unexpected events
Learn the Facts About Teen Trauma
Knowing the signs of teen trauma is vital. Early treatment intervention can help teens avoid experiencing the effects of the trauma throughout their lifetime. It’s also important to learn the facts and statistics surrounding mental health and/or substance use disorders that can be triggered by a traumatic event.
- 62% of teens between the ages 13 to 17 have experienced at least 1 traumatic event in their lifetime, according to the International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies (ISTSS)
- 19% of teens between the ages 13 to 17 have experienced at least 3 traumatic events, the ISTSS reports
- Teens with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) are 15 times more likely to attempt suicide, according to research published in Cureus
- Youth who experience physical or sexual abuse have 12-fold higher odds of regularly using cannabis or alcohol by age 10 and eight-fold higher odds of heavy drinking by age 14, according to the Archives of Medical Research
Common Warning Signs Your Teen Has Experienced Trauma
It’s important to learn the signs of trauma, as it can look different across the age spectrum. If you have concerns or need help, seek treatment programs as soon as you start seeing these signs in your teenager. Intervening early reduces the risk of prolonged mental health needs later in life. Some warning signs may include the following:
- Anxiety and worry
- Trepidation and fear
- Angry outbursts and uncontrollable rage
- Avoiding people, places, and anything else associated with a traumatic event
- Extensive or paralyzing grief
- Feelings of nothingness and numbness
- Changes in sleep patterns and habits
- Struggles with depression
- Marked shift in their relationship with parents and peers
- Increased involvement in risky behaviors
- Development of negative self esteem or self-image
- Struggles to identify the difference between feeling safe and being safe
Panic Attacks Caused by Teen Trauma
The symptoms of a panic attack typically dissipate soon after the attack has ended, but most people live with the fear of having another attack, which can be crippling on an emotional and physical level. This fear can make it very difficult for the healing process to begin and often leads to more emotional obstacles.
Here are a few common panic attack symptoms:
- Tightening of chest
- Rapid, pounding heart
- Shortness of breath
- Stomach pain or cramping
- Nausea
- Loss of balance
- Shaking or trembling
- Hot flashes or chills
- Feeling faint, lightheaded, or dizzy
Treating Trauma in Teens
For a teen to begin the healing process, the first step is asking for help. At BasePoint Academy, our experienced clinicians will create a plan to manage the short-term and long-term effects of trauma. We’re proud to offer a team equipped to handle trauma’s impact on a teen’s overall well-being and the following various treatment options.
Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)
Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) teaches teens how to regulate their emotions and be mindful of what can cause emotion dysregulation or panic. DBT helps teens manage painful emotions that might be associated with their trauma and learn to minimize the effect their unwanted feelings have on their overall well-being by implementing distress tolerance, mindful awareness, and emotional regulation skills.
These are skills that our team at BasePoint Academy encourages and teaches teens to use consistently. This allows your child to strengthen the effectiveness of their healthy coping mechanisms throughout the course of their treatment program.
Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy teaches teens to identify negative thoughts and emotions that trigger stress, anxiety, and unhealthy coping mechanisms. These cognitive distortions, or unhealthy thinking, tend to control how teens respond to situations which often lead to avoidant behaviors prolonging the healing process.
By identifying these negative thoughts and emotions, teens learn to develop a more balanced, beneficial way of thinking, which allows them to process their trauma in a safe and controlled manner. As teens are educated throughout treatment about common trauma responses, they’re empowered to manage their stress and anxiety by building resiliency and establishing lasting change.
Trauma-Informed Care
Trauma affects a teeanger’s ability to cope, trust, and form healthy relationships and can impair new learning and concentration. A teen’s ability to self-sooth or maintain emotion regulation is often disrupted after experiencing a traumatic event which can lead to prolonged difficulty identifying what is safe versus unsafe. At BasePoint Academy, we create a trauma-informed environment using the following 5 principles:
- Safety: Creating treatment areas that are calm and comfortable
- Choice: Providing teens with individualized treatment plans
- Empowerment: Noticing capabilities and strengths in every teen
- Collaboration: Making treatment decisions together with the teen and their family
- Trustworthiness: Providing understandable and consistent information
Trauma-informed therapy is about ensuring all individuals feel physically, psychologically, and emotionally safe, are noticed, validated, and given a voice. At BasePoint Academy, we empower our teens to develop resiliency in new and unique ways that help each teen find stability and establish lasting change.
Additional Trauma Treatment Methods
There usually isn’t just one solution when it comes to helping a teen recover after experiencing a traumatic event. At BasePoint Academy, we employ multiple therapeutic disciplines and clinical treatment options. The right treatment program for your teen could include the following:
- Mindfulness-based therapy
- Medication management
- Family therapy
- Wellness
- Group therapy
- Journaling
- Experiential therapy
- Solution-focused therapy
Schedule a Consultation at BasePoint Academy for Your Teen Today
BasePoint Academy provides teens with a safe, comfortable environment where they can learn to manage and overcome their trauma. Together, we will build an individualized treatment plan that provides a path toward physical, mental, and emotional well-being. Learning how to effectively cope after experiencing trauma will empower teens to activate their innate capacity to heal and establish lasting change.
No-Obligation Trauma Assessment for Teens
At BasePoint Academy, we understand the profound effects trauma can have on a teenager’s mental health and development. Recognizing this, we offer a confidential, no-obligation trauma assessment for teens as part of our admissions process. This critical step helps us identify the signs of emotional trauma in a child, allowing us to tailor a therapeutic program that addresses their needs.
Our team of professionals includes trauma therapists who are conveniently located near you, making it easier for families in Texas and surrounding regions to access our services. We believe that therapy should not disrupt a teenager’s daily life but rather enhance it. That’s why at BasePoint Academy, we offer flexible treatment options such as Intensive Outpatient Programs (IOPs) and Partial Hospitalization Programs (PHPs) for adolescent trauma. These programs allow your teen to continue with their schooling while simultaneously receiving the therapy they need.
Through activities designed specifically for youth, our adolescent trauma therapy program supports teenagers in processing their experiences and developing healthier coping mechanisms. Whether you’re looking for a childhood trauma test for teens or a comprehensive trauma treatment program, we’re here to help.
Call (972) 357-1749 now for a no-obligation trauma assessment.