Trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy for children and families

Abstract

Objective: This article provides information about trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy (TF-CBT), an evidence-based treatment for traumatized children, adolescents, and families.

Method: The evolution of the TF-CBT model is described from the perspective of the treatment developers, including population of focus, conceptual and methodological features of the research, critical challenges and design issues that have been confronted, and how they have been addressed. Major research findings and their implications for clinical practice are also described, as well as future research challenges and directions for young researchers starting out in this field.

Results: The TF-CBT model has been been tested in a variety of challenging research settings and has strong evidence for improving trauma symptoms across diverse populations of traumatized children.

Conclusions: TF-CBT is an effective and widely used treatment for addressing childhood trauma.

Keywords: child psychotherapy; cognitive behavior therapy; trauma.