How Could Someone Like Jayme Closs Recover From Trauma?

FARGO, N.D. – For Jayme Closs, the process to get back to normalcy is not one someone can predict.

“One trauma doesn’t necessarily impact each kid that might go through the exact same thing in the same way,” Child Therapist and Clinical Supervisor at The Village Family Service Center Shauna Erickson said.

That’s why there isn’t a one size fits all when discussing trauma in youth. More specifically, Jayme Closs, but there are steps to be taken.

“Only going as quickly in treatment as they are able to go. Letting that person set the pace, go where they’re comfortable and when it’s feeling like too much, stopping when they need to stop,” Allana Danduran of Allana Danduran Psychotherapy Services says.

Reminding Jayme of her self-worth.

“When adversities happen to us, it can almost try to haunt us so using a strength based perspective and making sure she knows what her value is and what their future holds I think are really important,” Erickson said.

Shauna and Allana work alongside teens regularly in the metro…they agree, a strength seen in Jayme is the reason many work in their profession

“The resiliency. That’s something that she can tap into and the people around her who are supporting her can help her hold onto that resiliency,” Danduran said.

“Youth are so resilient and so this young 13-year-old she’s going to be able to hopefully overcome this in ways that is perplexing to other people in the community,” Erickson said.

But her big smile has made some question…will she need to relive the trauma she has faced over the last few months?

“We can still treat trauma. You can still have resolution of trauma. You can still work through it without necessarily going through all of the gory details,” Danduran said.

And cater each next step uniquely to this survivor.

“We always want to look at how is it impacting the persons day to day functioning,” Erickson said.

Answers for many may never come.

“I don’t think as a community we’re ever going to be able to see what the impact has been on her and I think that we just have to respect that we have to honor people’s privacy,” Erickson said.

But both professionals say it’s important to let her heal at her own pace.

“Give her space, give her respect, give her support and encouragement and try to hold back any judgment and just allow her to go through this process as she needs to,” Danduran said.

Both Allana and Shauna say it’s also important for parents of kids who are hearing about this story, to use it as an opportunity for education as opposed to fear.