Trauma-Focused Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy

Who’s invited? All therapists, clinicians, & students are welcome.                                                              Note: A Master’s degree in a clinical field is required for certification in the model.

Why? Here’s a unique opportunity for training to add TF-CBT to your toolkit and/or use it to inform your current practices.

What is TF-CBT? TF-CBT (Cohen et al., 2006) is an intervention that was developed for traumatized children with PTSD and their non-offending caregivers. Treatment is divided into three phases: coping skills (i.e., affect identification and regulation for children, affect regulation and parent training for caregivers), trauma narrative, and conjoint sessions to share the narrative and develop ongoing safety plans. Treatment is designed to reduce trauma-related mental health problems, including children’s PTSD, depression, and externalizing behavior problems.

The evidence supporting the efficacy of TF-CBT is impressive. To date, TF-CBT developers and other investigators have published 20 randomized controlled trials  with preschoolers, children, and adolescents who have been sexually abused and more recently, exposed to intimate partner and ongoing violence. In a series of multi-site trials with over 300 participants from urban and rural settings, TF-CBT treatment effects included significant reductions in children’s PTSD, depressive symptoms, and externalizing behaviors (Cohen, Deblinger, Mannarino, & Steer, 2004; Cohen, Mannarino, & Knudsen, 2005). And that’s just the beginning.

Training in TF-CBT includes: completion of the TF-CBT web-based training, attendance at a 2-day learning session, and participation in 12 consultation calls in which cases are presented and discussed. The cost for the 2-day session and 12 consultation calls is $700.

Training will be led by Dr. Elissa Brown, Ph.D.                                                                                

Executive Director, Child HELP Partnership and Professor of Psychology, St. John’s University