Arianne Struik

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Arianne Struik

My name is Arianne Struik and I’m a clinical psychologist/ family therapist and EMDR consultant.

The Institute for Chronically Traumatized Children (ICTC), founded by Arianne Struik, provides training, supervision, consultation, and research on the treatment of chronically traumatized children and their families. After working in child and adolescent psychiatry for 20 years in the Netherlands, where I developed the award-winning Sleeping Dogs method to motivate children that are unable or unwilling to engage in trauma treatment, I became director of the Institute for Chronically Traumatized Children (ICTC). We started in Perth, WA, and moved to Agnes Water QLD Australia in 2019.

01/01/2026

Some kids won’t talk about their trauma. Others can’t. But ignoring it won’t make it go away.⁠
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The Sleeping Dogs Method helps children safely face their trauma, even when they resist, dissociate, or stay silent.⁠
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What’s inside the updated edition:⁠
🐾 Step-by-step guide to trauma treatment⁠
👥 Tools to work with families — even complex ones⁠
📄 Real-life cases + printable worksheets⁠
🏡 New chapters on foster care & intellectual disability⁠
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For therapists, foster carers, and trauma professionals who are ready to go deeper, safely.⁠
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Get the book:⁠
https://www.amazon.com.au/gp/product/B07RZM6XPS/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=247&creative=1211&creativeASIN=B07RZM6XPS&linkCode=as2&tag=ariannnestrui-22&linkId=633be42cd150c79da8f991312930427f⁠
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30/12/2025

Last chance to Join me live in Denmark for Sleeping Dogs Level II 🇩🇰🐾⁠
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🎯 A hands-on, in-depth training designed for experienced professionals.⁠
📍 Køge, Denmark (just 35 minutes from Copenhagen)⁠
🗓️ 22–23 January 2026⁠
🎟️ Limited spots available⁠
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Hosted by: Familiens Anker⁠
📌 Prerequisite: Completion of Sleeping Dogs Level I⁠
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Don’t miss this unique opportunity to learn face-to-face with me while enjoying the beauty of Denmark in winter.⁠
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Register here: https://familiensanker.dk/event/sleeping-dogs-level-ii/⁠
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23/12/2025

Sleeping Dogs level l Workshop – Copenhagen 2026⁠
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Working with children who won’t talk about trauma, avoid therapy, or dissociate?⁠
They’re not resistant—they’re protecting themselves.⁠
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Learn how to safely prepare them for trauma treatment using the Sleeping Dogs Method.⁠
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👩‍🏫 2-day in-person training⁠
📍 Jan 19–20, 2026 | Kosmopol Konferencecenter, Copenhagen⁠
📘 Includes the book Treating Chronically Traumatized Children⁠
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✅ Understand blocks to therapy⁠
✅ Work with complex families⁠
✅ Prepare children for EMDR/TF-CBT⁠
🎥 Real cases, practical tools, hands-on learning⁠
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📩 Register: info@safechildren.dk⁠
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Let’s stop avoiding trauma—and start healing it. 💙⁠
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22/12/2025

"Why don’t they cut contact?”

Because for a child, any connection is better than no connection.

Children are wired to attach — even when the caregiver is abusive. They’ll blame themselves before they blame their parent. They’ll protect the abuser rather than risk being alone.

Loyalty in these situations isn’t a choice — it’s survival.

If we want to help, we must first understand. Respond with compassion, not judgment. Rebuild trust, don’t demand it. And never ask a child to sever the only bond they know, before offering something better.

17/12/2025

Not all wounds are visible.⁠
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Children who grow up without emotional validation—who aren’t comforted, seen, or heard—can carry invisible scars into adulthood.⁠
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These children often:⁠
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- Struggle with self-worth⁠
- Suppress their emotions⁠
- Feel like a burden when they express needs⁠
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👉 Emotional neglect is trauma.⁠
Healing starts when we begin to notice what didn’t happen.⁠
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16/12/2025

Zoning out. Daydreaming. Going blank in therapy.

When children dissociate, they’re not being defiant or inattentive—
They’re protecting themselves.

Dissociation is the brain’s survival response to overwhelming stress.
Instead of punishment, children need grounding, connection, and safety.

Let’s respond with compassion, not correction.

11/12/2025

When a child has been hurt, the instinct is often to protect them by avoiding the person who caused the trauma.⁠
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But for many children, especially those harmed by family members, avoidance doesn’t bring peace. It keeps the fear alive.⁠
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Restorative justice viewpoints offer another path.⁠
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This research-based approach helps children move from fear to empowerment through safe, supported, trauma-informed steps that allow for understanding, closure, and even reconnection when possible.⁠
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I’ve witnessed how even in deeply complex cases—like intra-familial abuse. This process can unlock healing in ways traditional avoidance cannot.⁠
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🛑 It’s not about forcing contact.⁠
✅ It’s about offering choice, structure, and support.⁠
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Let’s rethink what safety and healing can look like.⁠
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08/12/2025

Sleeping Dogs Level II – Face-to-Face Workshop in Denmark 🇩🇰

📅 22–23 January 2026
📍 Køge (35 min from Copenhagen)

Hosted by: Familiens Anker

Have you trained in the Sleeping Dogs method, but still find it challenging to apply in complex real-life situations?

This advanced, in-person training helps you deepen your skills in working with children impacted by chronic trauma, neglect, and dissociation—especially when parents carry their own trauma histories.

You’ll practise how to:

- Engage avoidant or resistant parents
- Navigate guilt, denial, or shame
- Plan trauma treatment when the parent has PTSD, substance use, or developmental issues
- Use compensation plans when parenting capacity is limited
- Talk about abuse—even when it’s disputed

This highly practical 2-day workshop includes roleplays, case work, peer learning, and video analysis.

🎓 Requirements:
✔️ Completed Level I training (online or in-person)
✔️ Read Treating Chronically Traumatized Children (Struik, 2019)

💬 Want to feel more confident and creative in complex cases?
Join us live in Denmark and strengthen your practice.
🔗 https://familiensanker.dk/event/sleeping-dogs-level-ii/

03/12/2025

Childhood trauma doesn’t just affect emotions —⁠
…it reshapes the brain. 🧠⁠
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Here’s what the science shows:⁠
🔹 The hippocampus shrinks → making memory and learning harder⁠
🔹 The amygdala becomes overactive → triggering constant fear and reactivity⁠
🔹 The prefrontal cortex struggles to develop → affecting focus, impulse control, and emotional regulation⁠
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But there’s hope. 💡⁠
The brain can heal through trauma-informed therapy.⁠
With safety, connection, and the right interventions, children can rewire and thrive.⁠
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Let’s continue to treat trauma early — and compassionately. 💙⁠
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01/12/2025

When Trauma Treatment Feels Stuck… 🐾

Some children freeze or fight when therapy begins.
Others shut down at the mention of trauma.
And some? They just never speak about it — like the memories are buried for good.

If you’ve worked with chronically traumatized children, you know how hard it can be to move forward.
Where do you even start?
What if you push too soon — and "wake up sleeping dogs"?

That question is what led me to create the Sleeping Dogs Method:
A structured, step-by-step approach to help you understand resistance, remove barriers, and guide even the most complex children toward healing.

🎥 Want to learn how it works?
I’ve made a pre-recorded webinar where I teach you the full method — from case formulation to treatment planning.

👉 Watch here:
https://www.ariannestruik.com/calendar-2/treating-chronically-traumatized-children-with-the-sleeping-dogs-method/

No child is too complex for trauma therapy.
They just need you to make it possible 💙

28/11/2025

It’s not “just in their head.”⁠
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Trauma changes the brain and the body.⁠
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🧠 It rewires the brain’s stress system, keeping it on high alert⁠
💭 Leads to self-blame, guilt, and low self-worth⁠
🧍‍♀️ Makes it hard to trust, connect, and feel safe with others⁠
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These are not just emotional responses — they are the long-term effects of trauma.⁠
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Healing is possible, but it starts with addressing the root cause — not just the symptoms.⁠
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27/11/2025

Masterclass EMDR with children with chronic trauma⁠
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Are you from New Zealand or Australia? This masterclass might be for you...⁠
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From toddlers to teens—EMDR can work at every stage of development.⁠
But are you adjusting your approach to fit the child?⁠
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In this 2-day EMDR Masterclass, you'll learn:⁠
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👶 How to use EMDR with children aged 0–4, 4–6, 6–9, 9–12, and 12–18⁠
🎥 Watch video demonstrations of complex cases⁠
🧠 Dive into the working memory theory to improve reprocessing⁠
🚨 Troubleshoot dissociation & abreactions in-session⁠
💬 Practise through case vignettes & roleplay—not just theory!⁠
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Whether you're rusty or ready to level up—this is for you.⁠
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👉 You must have completed Adult Level 1 + Child EMDR Training⁠
🔗 Details: https://www.ariannestruik.com/calendar-2/masterclass-emdr-with-children-with-complex-trauma/⁠
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Address

PO Box 407, Agnes Water
Brisbane, QLD
4677

Website

https://ariannestruik.com/

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