Trauma Mask "Exposure Therapy"

Trust is important in a therapeutic relationship, especially when confronting trauma or exposing yourself to painful truths about yourself and your reality.

I recently asked a ten year old girl to confront her trauma of drowning by making a trauma mask. This activity was to be one of closure and one last big stride to overcome her anxiety. She has overcome separation anxiety, anxiety, sleep disturbance and emotional and behavioral issues over the past four months but a trauma in her past still presents itself in dreams and she becomes a mermaid often in the dreams as to feel safe in and around water.  These changes have been consistent for six weeks but sharing her trauma story is still really hard.

She was really excited to make a plaster face mask with plaster of paris.  She didn't like the idea of sharing her story with her mask on.  She wants to decorate it but not openly share her story.  In making the mask she was able to talk about the time at a birthday party more easily but quickly the anxiety overwhelmed her. This was the second time she actively kicked the ball.  She has done it in other ways throughout therapy but never as directly.  I encouraged her to decorate the mask and slowly tell her story to her family that is already aware of the event.  I gave her permission to pace it out and even make it about the mask.  We talked about how the mask is not her and neither is the trauma.  Taking the mask off is symbolic of taking the trauma off.

Telling her story lessens the power and anxiety it has over her.  I put on my mask again as she requested and shared my story.  This empowered her and she left with resolve to kick the ball a few more times with people she can trust.

Parents have also helped her in becoming a more confident swimmer which she is succeeding at.