Trauma
I specialize in trauma based treatment for both children and adolescents (ages 3 to 18) and utilize the evidence-based treatment model, Trauma Focused-Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT). TF-CBT has been well researched and has shown to be very effective in over 80% of children who have been exposed to a traumatic event. TF-CBT is effective in treating both children who meet a PTSD diagnosis as well as those who may not been this diagnosis but who have seen, experienced, or undergone a traumatic incident. Trauma can look different for each child or teen. Together, we will explore if this treatment model will be helpful for your child and what is involved in the treatment model. You can read more about TF-CBT here: https://academicdepartments.musc.edu/projectbest/tfcbt/tfcbt.htm
Essential Components of TF-CBT include1:
- Establishing and maintaining therapeutic relationship with child and parent
- Psycho-education about childhood trauma and PTSD
- Emotional regulation skills
- Individualized stress management skills
- Connecting thoughts, feelings and behaviors related to the trauma
- Assisting the child in sharing a verbal, written, or artistic narrative about the trauma(s) and related experiences
- Encouraging gradual in vivo exposure to trauma reminders, if appropriate
- Cognitive and affective processing of the trauma experiences
- Education about healthy interpersonal relationships
- Parental treatment components including parenting skills
- Joint parent-child sessions to practice skills and enhance trauma-related discussions
- Personal safety skills training
- Coping with future trauma reminders
1 The “Essential Components” are taken from the National Child Traumatic Stress Network at www.NCTSNET.ORG
Please contact me to learn more about trauma based treatment for your child or teen!