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Narrative Exposure Therapy for Children and Adolescents (KIDNET)

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Evidence-Based Treatments for Trauma Related Disorders in Children and Adolescents

Abstract

In KIDNET, the child, with the assistance of the therapist, constructs a chronological narrative with a focus on traumatic experiences. Creative elements are included in this child-friendly version of Narrative Exposure Therapy (NET). Empathic understanding, active listening, congruency and unconditional positive regard are key components of the therapist’s behaviour. Aim of this procedure is to transform the generally fragmented reports of the traumatic experiences into a coherent narrative. For traumatic stress experiences the therapist asks in detail for emotions, cognitions, sensory information and physiological reactions in the past and also in the presence as the child recalls the most arousing experiences. If requested by an adolescent, a written report may be used for rights and human rights advocacy.

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Acknowledgment

We thank Dr. Katy Robjant (vivo international) and Dr. James Moran (University of Konstanz) for helpful input and comments on this chapter.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. University of Konstanz, Constance, Germany

    Maggie Schauer & Thomas Elbert

  2. University of Bielefeld, Bielefeld, Germany

    Frank Neuner

Authors
  1. Maggie Schauer
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  2. Frank Neuner
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  3. Thomas Elbert
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Maggie Schauer .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychosomatics and Psychiatry, University Children’s Hospital University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland

    Markus A. Landolt

  2. Division of Dissemination and Training, National Center for PTSD, Palo Alto, California, USA

    Marylène Cloitre

  3. Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland

    Ulrich Schnyder

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Schauer, M., Neuner, F., Elbert, T. (2017). Narrative Exposure Therapy for Children and Adolescents (KIDNET). In: Landolt, M., Cloitre, M., Schnyder, U. (eds) Evidence-Based Treatments for Trauma Related Disorders in Children and Adolescents. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-46138-0_11

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