Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT) is a psychosocial treatment designed to treat traumatic stress and associated behavioral and emotional problems in children and adolescents. The focus of this therapy is to help people who have suffered trauma from neglect, sexual, physical or emotional violence.
Children and adolescents that have survived trauma may experience emotional or behavioral symptoms such as depression, anxiety, or disruptive behaviors. They may start to have flashbacks, nightmares and start to avoid people or places that remind them of the event.
During therapy, the children and adolescents are gradually exposed to the trauma by describing more and more details and feelings of what happened before, during and after. This can be highly effective to overcome their feelings and to fully address their safety needs so that the trauma can be behind them.