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9 Principles for Teaching Trauma-Informed Mindfulness to Teens

1.  First, do no harm: At the bedrock of our work with teens is to first do no harm.
With regard to mindfulness and trauma, that means we first understand that mindfulness does
at times have the potential to trigger trauma and create harm. When we know this we can at
least have the intention to not trigger trauma and be mindful of possible situations that could
be harmful.

2.  Establish safety: At the base of trauma-informed care is the establishment of a

sense of safety. Without that, competent work can’t happen. Strive to create a physically,
emotionally, interpersonally, and culturally safe space so that trust builds and a young person
will feel more safe to try a transformational practice like mindfulness.

3.  Practice relational mindfulness: A sub category of the above,

relational mindfulness is the intentional act of relationship-building using mindfulness
principles to increase your relate-ability (i.e., presence, attunement, compassion, etc.). It is
thinking of the relationship as an organic living entity, rather than a passive aspect of your
experience with the youth you work with. Practicing relational mindfulness increases trust and
emotional safety.

4.  Understand intersectionality: Intersectionality is the interconnected

nature of how race, class, gender, sex, age, ability, etc. overlap to contribute to multiple layers
of oppression in a young person’s life. When teaching mindfulness to teens, we run the risk
of saying or doing things that can be offensive and trigger youth. This can at times enhance
their traumas; the last thing we want to do. Do your own work to understand your implicit
biases in order to best regulate them.

5.  Understand the window of tolerance: Simply put, the window
of tolerance is is the window of experience where young person is still able to relatively
regulate themselves. When someone is out of the window of tolerance, they have trouble
regulating themselves, thinking, learning, and being lead through any cognitive activity (i.e.,
hyper or hypo-arousal). If someone can’t think/talk coherently, it’s a sign they may be out of
the window. In such cases, you may not want to teach a mindfulness meditation.
6.  Embrace the paradox: When a young person is out of the window of
tolerance, their brain often down regulates and they may go into fight/flight/freeze. The
paradox is that in those cases, a mindfulness technique may be too cognitive and
contraindicated. But at the same time mindfulness can be transformational and help youth get
a hold of their trauma. It’s best to know this paradox, not force mindfulness when a youth
looks like they’re out of the window of tolerance, but still build a relationship and “strike when
the iron is cold” (i.e., teach mindfulness when they’re not in a triggered state).

7.  Prioritize somatic awareness: When your teen is ready for some
form of mindfulness practice, if they’ve recently been triggered or you feel like they are at
easy risk for being triggered, start with somatic, non-cognitive based techniques first. The
abstract meditations where youth are in the throws of their internal imagery are the ones that
have the highest risk to trigger trauma. Start with simple techniques like deep breathing and
body-based meditations that don’t require high levels of cognitive attention.

8.  Don’t over-emphasize logistics: There’s no need to force a young

person to close their eyes, sit in a certain position, hold their hands a certain way, etc. That will
only create impasse if a youth feels out of place and it’s not necessary to practice mindfulness.
Trauma can be triggered by something as simple as closing one’s eyes, so we want to invite
with our meditation instructions rather than treat them like pre-requisites.

9.  Mindfulness beyond meditation: Mindfulness is so much more

than mindfulness meditation. Remember, there are a plethora of practices within the daily or
informal mindfulness umbrella. Learn those and have them in your tool kit. Sometimes
meditation is just too intense for a teen who’s been adversely impacted by trauma. Don’t try
and force it. Use the power of mindfulness beyond meditation. Mindful check-ins, mindful
eating activities, and mindful movement are all forms of mindfulness beyond meditation.

Sign up for our free 2-hour online courses to learn more about teaching
mindfulness to teens and trauma-informed care for youth workers:
https://centerforadolescentstudies.com

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