9 / 10
CounselEd
Self-injurious Behavior in Social Media Consumed Youth
9
asking them to bring the client to the next youth event
should he or she convey interest… and then process
the experience with the client. This process demon-
strates a confidence in the client’s judgment regardless
of whether or not he or she actually chooses to attend.
Additionally, it serves to potentially broaden the client’s
current sources of validation, access to approval, and
support independence by providing an activity that is
all his or her own. Whitlock, et al., note that the Inter-
net “provides self-injurers with an anonymous venue
for sharing actual and fabricated aspects of their true
identity among a community of similar others” (2006, p.
3). Therefore, as the therapist conveys radical accep-
tance for their clients, they can inspire them to access
and even create alternative online communities that
maintain anonymity, but also provide support for under-
lying emotional causes of SIB (i.e., depression, chil-
dren of divorce, or abuse support groups). Ultimately,
acceptance and a confidence in the client’s ability for
autonomy are modeled in the therapeutic alliance and
session exercises; thus, lending strength to the client
for real-world and healthy social media implementation.
Social-media consumed youths struggle to navigate
the complexities of their inherited, electronically-mo-
tivated world. Their underdeveloped prefrontal cortex
leaves them emotionally driven, operating out of the
trauma response center of the brain. As they seek to
find security in acceptance while stretching their wings
of independence, they can often perceive their experi-
ence as traumatic. As therapists, we need to not be
overwhelmed by the impact of social media in our cli-
ents’ lives. Moreover, by filtering our treatment through
a trauma-informed lens, such as the T.E.A. Model, we
create opportunities for change without further alienat-
ing the client. In session time, we can mirror the vast-
ness of social networking and all it has to offer by join-
ing with our youth to safely explore a sense of identity
and control. Furthermore, as Christian therapists, we
are well-equipped to respond biblically and therapeuti-
cally to the rise of SIB in social-media consumed youth.
When adolescents perceive their world as traumatic,
compounded by social media, we are called to point
them to a higher direction. In fact, through the use of a
trauma-informed approach, such as T.E.A., we model
for our clients 2 Timothy 1:7 (AMP): “For God did not
give us a spirit of fear, but [He has given us a spirit] of
power and of love and of sound judgment
and
self-con-
trol [abilities that result in a calm, well-balanced mind].”
T.E.A. encourages joining youth to promote healthy
engagement of social media and real-life rewarding
opportunities, while empowering them to discover their
own identities. More importantly, it is through this pro-
cess that we may be so fortunate to foster even greater
identity formation, one that is founded on the love,
restoration, power, and acceptance of Jesus Christ.