Interpersonal childhood trauma and the use of the therapeutic community in recovery

This paper aims to explore an integrated therapeutic care approach for a group of children and young people who have experienced chronic and enduring interpersonal trauma.

This paper aims to emphasise the need to routinely assess for that which could have been relationally traumatic, as this is the context in which many looked‐after children's and young people's developmental experiences occur. In particular, it explores the need to have trauma‐informed assessments, clinically effective interventions based on this knowledge, and the need to ensure that a therapeutically enabling environment and organisational functioning is maintained, in order to improve outcomes. It builds on existing work on trauma systems theory, both within an organisational context and within a holistic completely integrated (therapy/assessment, care, education) residential child care treatment process.

This research raises consideration of the manner in which interpersonally traumatic experiences with the child's primary attachment figures (accommodation complex) may create the context in which children employ dissociative coping. This also may have possible helpful connections for those working with adults diagnosed with borderline personality disorder.

The paper provides a systemic model based on three strands of understanding, namely trauma, attachment and dissociation, which can provide an underpinning assessment and interventions model for children in residential care.