Trauma-focussed Cognitive Behavioural Therapy

Trauma-focused cognitive behavioural therapy (TF-CBT) is an evidence-based treatment approach shown to help children, adolescents, and their parents (or other caregivers) overcome posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and other difficulties related to traumatic life events. The three phases of  Trauma-focussed Cognitive Behavioural Therapy are stabilisation, trauma narration and processing, and integration and consolidation. The components of Trauma-focussed Cognitive Behavioural Therapy are summarised by the acronym “PRACTICE”. PRACTICE stands for Psychoeducation, Parenting skills, Relaxation skills, Affective modulation skills, Cognitive coping skills, Trauma narrative and cognitive processing of the traumatic event(s), In vivo mastery of trauma reminders, Conjoint child-parent sessions, and Enhancing safety and future developmental trajectory.

Exposure to traumatic events during childhood is a serious issue. Although most children are resilient, trauma exposure is associated with an increased risk of developing mental health issues, including Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Early intervention for children who have experienced traumatic events through a range of supports including Trauma-focussed Cognitive Behavioural Therapy is a way to help prevent serious and long-term adverse outcomes for children who have experienced trauma.

We know that parents can significantly impact their child’s responses to trauma – parents who show less of a distress response and more support for their trauma-impacted child can positively impact their response to treatment. Involving parents in their child’s treatment through Trauma-focussed Cognitive Behavioural Therapy can effectively address this and lead to better outcomes for their child. Trauma-focused therapy can also help parents recognise and respond appropriately to their children’s trauma responses while setting appropriate behavioural limits.

Interested in developing your  Trauma-focussed Cognitive Behavioural Therapy skills? Clinical experts in mental health developed Phoenix Australia’s Trauma-focussed Cognitive Behavioural Therapy training course to help you explore each therapy component and to help you individualise your learning activities according to the client group you work with. Taking a practical approach, you can choose from multiple case vignettes representing typical presentations across the developmental spectrum, child, adolescent, and adult cases.

The course is designed for mental health practitioners with foundational competence in assessing, diagnosing and treating mental health disorders generally, as well as foundational competence in using cognitive behavioural therapy.