Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT)

Trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy (TF-CBT) is currently considered by multiple sources to be the “gold standard” treatment for children and adolescents experiencing posttraumatic stress and associated symptomatology subsequent to trauma exposure. Dozens of randomized controlled trials demonstrate the superiority of TF-CBT over rapport-focused treatment for youth experiencing sexual abuse, domestic violence, natural disasters, and other forms of trauma exposure. This chapter discusses the theoretical and empirical basis of TF-CBT, and provides an overview of the specific components of TF-CBT, as well as practical examples of technique implementation. Current standards for training and supervision are reviewed.