Trauma Resources

Trauma Resources

Below are some resources we’ve collected that are helpful to parents of children from traumatic backgrounds. We owe a great debt of gratitude to Dr. Karyn Purvis for working to synthesize decades of research and insight to shed light on what goes on in the hearts and minds of children from hard places. Trauma can take many forms, including not only abuse but also neglect, hunger, and a number of other things often experienced by orphans. If there is a former orphan in your life—and especially if your child spent time in an orphanage—we encourage you to check out the resources below.


TBRI Overview Video

This YouTube video is a good introduction to the concepts of TBRI (Trust-Based Relational Intervention), a parenting method developed by Dr. Karyn Purvis.


The Connected Child

This book by Dr. Karyn Purvis and Dr. David Cross is an excellent study of what happens to children who have traumatic backgrounds, and how we as parents can help our kids overcome these beginnings.


The Whole-Brain Child

Written by Daniel J. Siegel and Tina Payne Bryson, this book is a good follow-up to The Connected Child.


The Out-of-Sync Child

Written by Carol Stock Kranowitz, this book explores Sensory Processing Disorder—what it is and how to interact children who have it.


The Out-of-Sync Child Has Fun

Written by Carol Stock Kranowitz, this companion volume to The Out-of-Sync Child covers more than one hundred activities for children with Sensory Processing Disorder.


Karyn Purvis Institute of Child Development – YouTube Channel

At the time of posting (May 2017), there are 40 videos on this channel of Dr. Purvis discussing TBRI and its benefits in the lives of specific individuals.


Karyn Purvis institute of Child Development

More information about TBRI can be found here, on the site for Dr. Purvis’s institute. (She founded this institute at TCU, and it was named for her after her passing.)


Empowered To Connect

This organization, which Dr. Purvis worked closely with, is dedicated to helping parents with children from traumatic backgrounds. Their website includes a number of helpful resources.


Tapestry – Vimeo Page

Tapestry is an adoption and foster care ministry that has a number of Empowered To Connect and related videos on their Vimeo page.