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.

08/04/2026

National research like the ACMS isn’t just reporting statistics — it’s revealing patterns that must inform practice and policy:⁠
⁠
📌 Maltreatment is widespread and often multi‑type⁠
📌 Abuse and neglect are strongly tied to later mental health conditions⁠
📌 Interventions must be trauma‑informed and early⁠
📌 Out‑of‑home care reflects higher intensity maltreatment histories — not just care status itself ⁠
⁠
These findings underscore the importance of holistic treatment, prevention, and trauma‑responsive systems.⁠
⁠

06/04/2026

Some children seem unwilling to talk about their trauma.
But they’re not avoiding healing—they’re avoiding overwhelm.

The Sleeping Dogs Method helps therapists:
🔹 Identify trauma therapy barriers
🔹 Collaborate with families (even if they’re part of the trauma)
🔹 Stabilize and motivate children safely

Learn how to:
✔️ Build treatment plans that work
✔️ Prevent therapy dropout
✔️ Support even the most complex families

🎥 Recorded workshop now available
🔗 www.ariannestruik.com/calendar-2

Start helping children who were "too complex" for trauma treatment.

02/04/2026

What the audit found: “Too complex to treat”⁠
⁠
Professionals lack trauma training.⁠
⁠
Behaviour mistaken for manipulation.⁠
⁠
Early intervention missed.⁠
⁠
The conclusion?⁠
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“Timely and appropriate trauma treatment is essential to prevent long-term negative mental health outcomes.”⁠
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That’s why we need approaches like Sleeping Dogs: to remove the barriers and make treatment accessible—even for the most complex cases.⁠
⁠
Learn more about the method here: https://www.ariannestruik.com/sleeping-dog-method/
⁠

30/03/2026

Some children refuse to talk.
Some dissociate.
Some act out.
Some shut down.

That doesn’t mean they’re not ready for therapy.
It means they need a different starting point.

The Sleeping Dogs Method helps professionals understand WHY children aren’t engaging—and shows how to gently remove those barriers.

Learn more about the method and get material here: https://www.ariannestruik.com/sleeping-dog-method/

No child is “too complex.”
No trauma is “too old.”
Every child deserves a chance to heal. 💙

26/03/2026

Alarming findings from a recent Australian audit... 🚨

Children in care aren't getting the trauma therapy they need. Why?

❌ Too complex
❌ Misunderstood trauma
❌ Wrong diagnoses
❌ Wrong treatment
❌ Focus on behaviour, not cause

Instead of asking "What’s wrong with this child?" We need to ask: "What happened to them?"

The Sleeping Dogs Method helps professionals identify and address trauma - especially when children seem “resistant,” “too complex,” or “not ready.”

💬 Every child deserves trauma treatment. No child is too difficult.
👉 Learn more: www.ariannestruik.com

24/03/2026

Preverbal trauma lives in the nervous system.

It can show up later as:
– Anxiety
– Sensory overload
– Sleep problems
– Difficulty bonding

The good news? EMDR and parent-child work can help.
Healing is possible even without language.

Watch our EMDR pre-recorded webinar package now: https://www.ariannestruik.com/calendar-2/rw-webinarpackage-emdr-with-chronic-trauma-in-children/

20/03/2026

Chronically traumatized children often look like they don’t want help.
But what they need is a structured way in.

The Sleeping Dogs Method helps uncover the blocks, work with families (even if they’ve caused harm), and prepare children for evidence-based trauma treatment.

📚 Learn at your own pace in this recorded workshop:
https://www.ariannestruik.com/calendar-2/treating-chronically-traumatized-children-with-the-sleeping-dogs-method/

16/03/2026

Working with trauma? Don’t forget to care for yourself too💙

This work is heavy. You hold others’ pain. You give and give.

You need rest.
You deserve support.
Your nervous system matters too.

My self-care this month:
✅ Surfing
✅ Reading
✅ Quiet mornings
✅ Saying no

What’s one thing you do to protect your energy? Share with me 👇

12/03/2026

I'm excited to be presenting at the EMDRAA Conference on 1–2 May 2025!⁠
⁠
🧠 I’ll be sharing our work on Field Hospital EMDR — trauma therapy in some of the most remote parts of Australia.⁠
⁠
No clinic rooms. No whiteboards. Just the real world, an EMDR KIT, a backpack, and children who need care.⁠
⁠
Looking forward to seeing many of you there!⁠
⁠

10/03/2026

Maltreatment in Childhood Linked to Mental Health Disorders

The Australian Child Maltreatment Study has shown that children who experienced multiple forms of maltreatment are significantly more likely to develop:

✔️ PTSD
✔️ Anxiety disorders
✔️ Depression

than peers without care experience.

This isn’t about blame. It’s about understanding the deep, lasting impact of adversity on the developing brain and nervous system. Trauma leaves biological traces that shape mental health across the lifespan.

05/03/2026

“Should we involve the parent if they’re part of the problem?”

Yes. If it’s safe and possible.

Children need their caregivers to feel safe even when those caregivers are struggling too.

The Sleeping Dogs method shows how to work with parents, even when they’ve caused harm.

Learn more about the method here: https://www.ariannestruik.com/sleeping-dog-method/

03/03/2026

Childhood trauma doesn’t just affect emotions.
It reshapes the brain:

🧠 Hippocampus → smaller (memory problems)
🧠 Amygdala → overactive (always on alert)
🧠 Prefrontal cortex → underdeveloped (struggles with impulse control)

But here’s the hope:
🧠 Neuroplasticity = the brain can heal.
With the right support, children can thrive again.

Address

PO Box 407, Agnes Water
Brisbane, QLD
4677

Website

https://ariannestruik.com/

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