Ep 269: Kids and Trauma with Amy Jacobs

·43 min·4 clips

A therapist reveals how eye movements can unlock trauma stored deep in the body, calling it a generous gift from God.

The episode begins with hosts Sissy Goff, David Thomas, and Melissa Trevathan introducing their guest, Amy Jacobs, a therapist and groups coordinator at Daystar Counseling Ministries. They start with a lighthearted anecdote about an eighth-grader declaring 'slub cotton is a mom fabric,' highlighting how kids express control through fashion. The conversation shifts to the main topic: kids over-labeling emotions like anxiety and depression. Amy Jacobs defines three tiers: discomfort, distress, and trauma, explaining trauma as an experience held in the body that the nervous system cannot discharge. She challenges the 'little T' versus 'big T' trauma framework by sharing her personal story: her father's death was distressing but not traumatic, while childhood dental visits caused lasting trauma due to being restrained. Amy discusses experiential therapy, describing a session where she used ribbons and cards to help a non-verbal client express emotions through movement. She then explains brain spotting, a therapy developed from EMDR that uses eye movements to process trauma stored in the body, noting its spiritual aspect and her training with Dr. Martha Jacoby. When asked how parents can support traumatized kids, Amy recommends the book 'Trauma Through a Child's Eyes' by Peter Levine and Maggie Klein. She advises finding trauma-informed therapists with specific training in modalities like brain spotting or EMDR, but also reassures parents that they can educate themselves through resources like podcasts if professional help is limited. Amy suggests practical at-home strategies, such as using furniture to represent feelings or encouraging physical activity like jumping on a trampoline to help discharge trauma. She ends with a message of hope, emphasizing that recovery is a slow process but children can learn to interact with trauma differently over time. The hosts conclude by echoing this hope, sharing their decades of experience seeing kids recover from difficult experiences.

As heard by us

A steady, practical starting point for trauma-informed care.

This episode pairs Amy Jacobs with Sissy Goff, David Thomas, and Melissa Trevathan in a calm, readable conversation about trauma and a few therapy paths.

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Why you'd press play

A calm entry point into trauma therapy, with a clear look at a few different modalities.

Read the full recommendation in PlayNext →

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