All the girls living with us are severely traumatized because they have all been violated. In our care for them we often see extreme and deviant behavior that we don’t know how to handle sometimes. As colleagues we help each other by discussing it and advising each other. We also take the girls to psychiatrists for additional help, but we want to learn more.

As a team we have recently had a two-day training course about this subject specifically. First the teacher explained what trauma means and how traumatised people experience a developmental delay which is shown in the growth of the brain. Therefore, it’s only natural for the girls to show deviant behavior which they can’t help unless the right care is given. A safe environment is very important as well as unconditional love and the right approach. This training course works with building a trusting relationship with every child. This way they dare to open up and start trusting people again. The emphasis was on how to build a relationship with a child and how to deal with unacceptable behavior. We often see in Thai culture there is limited insight in this matter and that people tend to do the opposite of what is needed. It was very instructive and a real eye opener for all of us.

It was good to see how everybody was listening attentively and voiced one ‘oooh’ after another. People asked questions, discussed practical examples and the staff was very open about their own behavior and whether they had dealt with the situation correctly. They were really open to learning.

The good thing is that the teacher lives nearby and is willing to come and teach us more often: she will provide us with a repeat program containing new facts every year and help us out in difficult situations. We are very grateful.