Trauma Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy was developed by Judith A. Cohen, M.D. and Anthony P. Mannarino, M.D. According to SAMHSA:
Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral (TF-CBT) is a psychotherapeutic intervention designed to help children, youth and their parents overcome the negative effects of traumatic life events such as child sexual or physical abuse; traumatic loss of a loved one; domestic, school, or community violence; or exposure to disasters, terrorist attacks, or war trauma. It was developed by integrating cognitive and behavioral interventions with traditional child abuse therapies that focus on enhancement of interpersonal trust and empowerment. The program can be provided to children 3 to 18 years of age and their parents by trained mental health professionals in individual, family, and group sessions in outpatient settings. It targets symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), which often co-occurs with depression and behavior problems. The intervention also addresses issues commonly experienced by traumatized children, such as poor self-esteem, difficulty trusting others, mood instability, and self-injurious behavior, including substance use.
I am involved in a yearlong TFCBT training sponsored by Montgomery County to receive a certificate in this evidence-based practice. I have experience using it with children and adolescents. I have also modified the model and used it with adults.
To learn more about this model go to:
www.modelprograms.org/samhsa