Trauma Through a Child's Eyes: Awakening the Ordinary Miracle of Healing.
https://www.traumahealing.org

Loss of appetite born of a conscious or unconscious attempt to “lock out” others and to ignore the body. Also common is the tendency to live in a fantasy world, have problems with attention, space out, daydream or dissociate in order to compartmentalize their awful experience. By using a guided process of articulating and expressing the sensations they are feeling in the body, children are able to literally “unlock” and free themselves from the event.
Sensations are a sense of the physiological happenings inside us. We must learn to be aware of them and address them. Examples are warmth, numbness, cold, open, shaky, calm, “like jell-o”, stiff, jittery, tense, pressure, “butterflies,” and vibration. 
Emotions are a combination of thoughts and sensations. 
As the teacher announces a surprise test (event), I’m aware of the butterflies in my stomach (sensation) and have the idea that if I fail this test, I will fail the course (thought), which then turns to fear (emotion). The idea of failure (thought) can then lead to a racing heart (sensation), shallow breathing (sensation), and heaviness in the pit of the stomach (sensation), which can result in a panic attack.
“Changes in sensation can be extremely subtle: something that feels internally like a rock, for example, may suddenly seem to melt into a warm liquid. These changes have their most beneficial effect when they are simply observed and experienced—not interrupted or interpreted. Attaching meaning to them or telling a story about them too early may shift the child’s perceptions into a more evolved portion of the brain, which can easily disrupt the direct instinctual connection. It is important, therefor, not to stir up discussion about the incident until after the cycles of all biological processes are finished.” [p. 104 NookBook]
The importance of rhythm and timing implies that natural resolution to traumatic reactions will come as a natural part natural rhythm. When given the time and attention needed, children are able to complete the healing cycle.
Children who are encouraged to attend to their instinctual responses are rewarded with a lifelong legacy of health and vigor.
Steps:
1.	Check your body’s response first. Take slow, deep breaths noting the change in sensations in your body. Feel your feet, ankles, and legs, noticing how they make contact with the ground. Remind yourself that you know what to do and any excess energy will help you meet the challenge. 
2.	Deal with signs of shock (glazed eyes, pale skin, rapid or shallow pulse and breathing, disorientation, overly emotional or overly tranquil affect, or acting like nothing has happened), before moving on.
3.	Analyze the sensations.
4.	Take time between self-analysis steps. Look for deep, relaxed breathing before continuing. Look for cessation of trembling, a stretch or yawn, or breaking eye contact. Watch for sensations that need to be taken through this cycle.
5.	Reactions may take minutes to work through their cycles. Reassurance (of God?) is important.
6.	Trust that healing will come. It is possible to achieve mastery over reactions to trauma.
7.	Take time to rest. That promotes a fuller recovery.
8.	Address emotions of anger, fear, sadness, worry, embarrassment, shame, or guilt later. These feelings are good and normal. Think of others who have shared similar emotions. Storytelling-Bible reading-characters who experienced the same.

Discharge of traumatic energy must occur in the context of support and protection. (God)
Unresolved, repetitious, traumatic play can reinforce the traumatic impact. Bad.
Principles to promote resolution:
Take whatever time is needed.
Distinguish between fear, terror, and excitement. Take time to avoid fear or terror but don’t let it become avoidance or escape. Meet it head-on.
Take one small step at a time. Look for small changes in emotions and sensations. Repetition is OK. Victory may not be immediate.
Be a safe container. (Let God be the safe container.)  Let God’s containment be source of confidence that success WILL come.
Stop/delay if no benefit from the play / process.

Sensation vocabulary.
•	Cold/warm/hot/chilly
•	Twitchy/butterflies
•	Sharp/dull/itchy
•	Shaky/trembly/tingly
•	Hard/soft/stuck
•	Jittery/icy/weak
•	Relaxed/calm/peaceful
•	Empty/full
•	Flowing/spreading
•	Strong/tight/tense
•	Dizzy/fussy/ blurry
•	Numb/prickly/jumpy
•	Owie/tearful/goose-bumpy
•	Light/heavy/open
•	Tickly/silky/cool
•	Still/clammy/loose

Chs. 11 and 12 – activities for students.

What might seem like ordinary stress to another student can be perceived as a life-or death struggle.
Body’s response- fidgeting, restless leg, ADHD, compulsive talking, darting eyes, anxiety, agitation, distractibility, “out-of-seat” behavior, “looking-for-a-fight”
Exercises:
Connect with the ground, like a tree. Feel the ground. 
Chant and do tribal dance to music.
Kneel down and balance. Notice center of gravity.
When becoming agitated, take 60 seconds to calm and settle. Then re-grounds and re-center.

Inhale, pause, exhale, pause, note changes. Focus on the breathing and how the body’s sensations change.
The essence of trauma is the sense of imminent danger or impending doom associated with a thwarted urge to escape. 
Shift from pleasurable experience to traumatic experience and back.

At least Willy didn't abuse her. 
But he was the one who brought those who did. That's worse.
But he's her father.
Makes no difference.
Come to really believe that it's not my fault.

It Happened to Me: A Teen's Guide to Overcoming Sexual Abuse