Going to court can be—and often is—traumatic for adults, and even more so for children. For some child clients it may be momentarily distressing, while others experience its effects as more long-lasting, having to relive past traumas and encounter new traumas.

According to the American Psychological Association, trauma is defined as “any disturbing experience that results in significant fear, helplessness, dissociation, confusion, or other disruptive feelings intense enough to have a long-lasting negative effect on a person’s attitudes, behavior, and other aspects of functioning. Traumatic events … challenge an individual’s view of the world as a just, safe, and predictable place.” Court is both stressful and unpredictable, and undoubtedly, going to court will trigger a person’s stress response.