Neurobiological Foundations of Trauma-Informed Counselling: Implications for Practice with Conflict-Exposed Adolescents in North East Nigeria

Trauma-informed counselling practice requires integration of neurobiological knowledge about trauma's effects on brain development, emotional regulation, and behaviour, yet this integration remains underdeveloped in Nigerian counselling training and practice frameworks. This study examined the neurobiological foundations of trauma-informed counselling and their implications for practice with conflict-exposed adolescents in North East Nigeria. A theoretical-empirical design was employed, combining a systematic review of neurobiological trauma literature with an empirical component involving neuro-informed clinical assessments of 90 conflict-exposed adolescents from Borno, Yobe, and Adamawa States. The Child PTSD Symptom Scale (CPSS-V) and the Neurological Underpinnings of Behaviour Questionnaire (adapted) were administered, alongside narrative clinical interviews. Integrative thematic analysis and correlational analysis were used. The systematic review identified prefrontal cortex dysregulation, amygdala hyperactivation, and hippocampal volume reduction as the primary neurobiological trauma signatures. Empirical findings confirmed high rates of hypervigilance, emotional dysregulation, and intrusive re-experiencing in the adolescent sample, consistent with neurobiological profiles identified in the literature. Existing counselling approaches in the region were inadequately responsive to these neurobiological realities. The study provides an original neuro-counselling framework contextualised for North East Nigerian practice, representing a significant contribution to trauma-informed guidance literature in sub-Saharan Africa. Keywords: trauma-informed counselling, neurobiology, conflict exposure, adolescents, North East Nigeria.