Resource-Oriented Narrative TraumaTherapy (Resonat): Treating Complex Trauma Disorders in Children and Adolescents Gently and Specifically

Abstract

Resource-oriented narrative trauma therapy (ResonaT; Hiller u. Hensel, 2019) is an innovative and creative approach within existing narrative trauma procedures. It is based on the three core elements of modern trauma therapy (actualisation, resource activation, dual attention) and invokes the neurobiological self-healing mechanism of memory reconsolidation. Due to its low demands on the children, its resourceful and gentle actualisation of the traumatic material, the distance-creating use of animal protagonists and a supportive therapeutic relationship, it is particularly suitable for children and adolescents with complex trauma sequelae. Through specific structuring (orientation to the leading symptoms, elaboration of central basic emotions, allocation of current triggers to earlier traumatic events), the narratives can be formulated precisely for each child.The workload for the therapists is made considerably easier by the availability of around 100 elaborated, topic-specific narratives.