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

Trauma-Focused Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT) is an evidence-
based, conjoint child and parent/caregiver psychotherapy model for
children and adolescents who are experiencing clinically significant
emotional and behavioral difficulties related to traumatic life events they
have experienced. TF-CBT is a relatively brief (typically 12-20 sessions),
components-based treatment model that incorporates interventions and
techniques based on cognitive, behavioral, family therapy, and humanistic
principles.

The goals of TF-CBT are to enable children and youth who have
experienced serious traumatic events, and their supportive caregivers, 1) to
learn effective skills to cope with trauma-related emotional and behavioral
problems, 2) to face and resolve those problems in a safe and therapeutic
way, and 3) to effectively integrate their trauma experiences and help them
move on with their lives in a safe and positive manner. Specifically, TF-CBT
is designed to reduce symptoms of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD),
trauma-related depression, anxiety, and behavior problems, and common
trauma-related cognitive and emotional problems such as fear, shame,
embarrassment, guilt, and self-blame. TF-CBT also improves caregiver
support of the child, parenting skills, and parent-child communication.