Trauma-Focused CBT

What is Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT)

Trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy (TF-CBT) is a therapeutic intervention that can help children and adolescents who have experienced trauma. Parents and children work together to understand and address the effects of trauma.

This article will explore how trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy works. You will learn:

• What trauma is and how to recognize it
• How TF-CBT works
• The goals and benefits of trauma-focused CBT
• The differences between TF-CBT and CBT
• Where to find trauma-focused CBT in Palm City

If you or a loved one have experienced trauma and need treatment, you are not alone. Reach out to the caring specialists at Palm City Wellness to explore our comprehensive mental health treatment programs in Palm City, Florida.

What is Trauma?

Trauma is an emotional reaction to experiencing an intensely frightening or distressing event. Trauma can occur in a single incident or be ongoing.

Some examples of events that could be traumatic include:

• Experiencing poverty or homelessness
• Physical, sexual, or emotional abuse
• Living with a parent or family member with a mental health or substance use disorder
• Oppression, discrimination, and racism
• War, terrorism, or community violence
• Childhood neglect
• Sudden separation from a loved one

Trauma can impact a person’s life, no matter when it occurs. However, it can have an even more profound impact when it happens during childhood.

When a child experiences trauma before turning 18, experts refer to it as an adverse childhood experience (ACE). Adverse childhood experiences are common.[2] Research finds:

• 62% of adults in the United States have at least one ACE
• 25% of adults in the United States have three or more ACEs

Childhood trauma is more common in specific populations, including non-white people, those with less than a high school education, members of the LGBTQIA+ community, and people with low incomes.

Childhood trauma can have a significant impact on a person’s physical and mental well-being. Experiencing childhood trauma increases the risk of chronic health conditions and health-risk behaviors like substance abuse.

Specialized treatments, including trauma-focused CBT (TF-CBT), can help people overcome the effects of trauma. Trauma-focused therapy can give people the opportunity and tools to process their experiences and move forward.

Trauma-Focused CBT: An Overview

Trauma-focused therapy involves treating children with trauma. It also includes education and support for non-offending parents.

A primary goal of TF-CBT is to help parents build skills related to positive parenting.[3] It also allows parents to develop better communication skills and process distress related to their child’s trauma.

Trauma-focused CBT involves psychoeducation. This is a therapeutic intervention that teaches people information that helps them cope with a diagnosis. Families affected by trauma learn about the effects of trauma, allowing them to cope with it.

Psychologists, counselors, social workers, or psychiatrists can deliver TF-CBT. Practitioners must have specialized training to offer trauma-focused CBT.

There are three treatment stages:

• Stabilization
• Trauma narration and processing
• Integration and consolidation

There are eight components of TF-CBT:[3,4]

• Psychoeducation and parenting skills
• Relaxation techniques
• Affective expression and regulation
• Cognitive coping and processing
• Trauma narrative development and processing
• In vivo exposure
• Conjoint parent-child sessions
• Enhancing safety and future development

Therapy sessions may include:

• Individual sessions with the child
• Individual sessions with caregivers
• Joint sessions with the child and caregivers
• Group sessions that include children and caregivers

If you believe your child may benefit from trauma-informed CBT, reach out to the Palm City Wellness specialists for more information about our programs.

What is the Goal of Trauma-Focused CBT?

Research finds that trauma-informed cognitive behavioral therapy is effective at helping to reduce symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Participating in TF-CBT may decrease:[4]

• The risk of developing depression
• Behavioral challenges
• Sexualized behaviors
• Feelings of shame

Trauma-informed CBT is proven to be effective for many types of trauma, including:

• Neglect
• Community violence
• Accidents
• Natural disasters
• Physical or sexual abuse
• Traumatic loss
• Domestic violence
• War

Trauma-informed CBT can help children with trauma understand and process their experiences. It gives non-offending parents the education and resources they need to support their child’s healing after experiencing trauma. It can help to reduce the negative impact of trauma on a child’s health and future.

CBT vs. Trauma-Focused CBT: Exploring the Differences

Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is a type of talk therapy. This therapeutic approach can help people identify unhelpful patterns of thoughts, behaviors, and emotions. People learn to identify and change destructive patterns, which can positively impact their emotional, behavioral, and physical well-being.

Mental health practitioners use CBT to treat a wide range of mental health conditions, including anxiety, depression, and relationship problems. It can help people with stress, anger management issues, and more. Trauma-focused CBT is a specialized treatment specifically for children who have experienced trauma.

Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) focuses on helping people with challenges. Trauma-focused CBT includes support and education for parents and children.

Find Trauma-Focused CBT in Palm City

If you or someone you love has a child with trauma, you are not alone. Help is available at Palm City Wellness. Contact our intake team now to learn more about our treatment and support programs. You can also contact us with questions or to schedule an intake appointment.

References:

1. American Psychological Association (APA): Trauma
2. National Institute of Health: Adverse Childhood Experiences and Health in Adulthood in a Rural Population-Based Sample
3. National Institute of Health: Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy: Assessing the Evidence
4. The National Child Traumatic Stress Network (NCTSN): Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy