Sample interview questions: How do you approach counseling children who have experienced or witnessed traumatic losses?
Sample answer:
Approaching Counseling for Children Experiencing Traumatic Losses:
1. Establish a Safe and Trusting Environment:
- Create a physically and emotionally safe space.
- Build rapport through active listening, empathy, and validation.
- Explain the purpose and confidentiality of counseling in an age-appropriate manner.
2. Assess the Child’s Needs and Perspectives:
- Use play-based activities, drawings, and storytelling to assess the child’s understanding, emotions, and coping mechanisms.
- Be sensitive to the child’s cognitive, emotional, and developmental stage.
- Consider the child’s cultural background and family context.
3. Validate and Normalize Emotions:
- Acknowledge the child’s feelings of sadness, anger, guilt, or numbness.
- Explain that these emotions are normal reactions to trauma.
- Assist the child in identifying and expressing their feelings in healthy ways.
4. Foster Meaning-Making and Resilience:
- Help the child process the traumatic event and make sense of their experiences.
- Encourage the child to share their thoughts and feelings about the loss.
- Support the child in developing coping strategies … Read full answer