Big T’s and Little t’s: Utilizing Trauma-Focused CBT Strategies with Trauma of All Kinds

Format

Individual Presentation

First Presenter's Institution

Auburn University

First Presenter’s Email Address

sam0058@auburn.edu

First Presenter's Brief Biography

Dr. Sarah Flint is a Clinical Assistant Professor at Auburn University and has worked as a Licensed Professional Counseling and Licensure Supervisor with more than 9 years of clinical experience, primarily with children and adolescents. As a professor, Dr. Sarah Flint trains counseling professional within clinical mental health, clinical rehabilitation, and school counseling backgrounds. She is nationally certified in Trauma-Focused CBT as well as a certified ASIST trainer. Her clinical specialties are trauma, child abuse/child trauma, and promoting resilience within helping professional.

Location

Session Three

Strand #1

Heart: Social & Emotional Skills

Strand #2

Health: Mental & Physical Health

Relevance

This proposal relates directly to the Social & Emotional Skills strand because it focuses on the foundational components of Trauma-Focused CBT, which emphasizes the importance of effective emotional regulation strategies and how impactful those strategies are when coupled with effective cognitive strategies and healthy coping skills when working through various forms of traumatic experiences. This proposal also relates to mental health as it is vital to have a good understanding of evidenced-based, effective strategies when working with childhood trauma in all settings to help alleviate traumatic symptoms and promote resilience through the therapeutic process.

Brief Program Description

Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT) is the most effective treatment modality when working with child trauma in all types of counseling settings. In this presentation, attendees will learn about the various components of TF-CBT and how to utilize them within various counseling settings with a wide range of ages and developmental considerations. Specific emphasis will include psychoeducation on trauma and abuse, coping strategies, affect expression and regulation strategies, and cognitive restructuring strategies.

Summary

Trauma impacts an alarmingly high rate of children, adolescents and adults each year, which demonstrates the need for helping professionals of all kinds to not only be knowledgeable about trauma and the impacts of trauma, but also how to utilize effective strategies when working with children who have experienced trauma. We know that the effects of trauma can be pervasive and longstanding regardless if the traumatic event(s) are major, catastrophic events or the compilation of multiple, “smaller” traumas that impact the child’s emotional, mental, social, and/or physical safety.

This presentation will start by exploring the various forms of trauma that children and adolescents may experience and the impact of those experiences on their academic, social, and emotional functioning. Attendees will then learn about the components of Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, and the presentation will emphasize specific strategies to be utilized within the Psychoeducation (on abuse and trauma), Relaxation/Coping, Affect Expression/Emotional Regulation, and Cognitive Restructuring components of the model, as these components lay the foundation for the Trauma Narrative and are areas that helping professionals from various backgrounds utilize and discuss on a daily basis when working with children and adolescent. This presentation will give attendees a good understanding of trauma-informed intervention and equip attendees with a variety of strategies to utilize and adapt to best meet the needs of the children and adolescents they are working with.

Evidence

TF-CBT is an evidence-based treatment for children and adolescents impacted by trauma and their parents or caregivers. TF-CBT has the strongest research evidence of any treatment model for traumatized children from diverse backgrounds. It is a components-based treatment model that incorporates trauma-sensitive interventions with cognitive behavioral, family, and humanistic principles and techniques. TF-CBT has proved successful with children and adolescents (ages 3 to 21) who have significant emotional problems (e.g., symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder, fear, anxiety, or depression) related to traumatic life events. It can be used with children and adolescents who have experienced a single trauma or multiple traumas in their lives.

Learning Objective 1

Attendees will increase their knowledge about childhood trauma and how trauma impacts various aspects of children’s functioning and development.

Learning Objective 2

Attendees will understand the components of Trauma-Focused CBT and how to utilize TF-CBT in various counseling settings.

Learning Objective 3

Attendees will learn how to utilize multiple effective strategies from the various components of TF-CBT and how to individualize those strategies based on age and developmental considerations.

Keyword Descriptors

childhood trauma, trauma-informed strategies, resilience, coping, emotional regulation strategies, cognitive restructuring strategies

Presentation Year

2024

Start Date

3-4-2024 2:15 PM

End Date

3-4-2024 2:45 PM

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Mar 4th, 2:15 PM Mar 4th, 2:45 PM

Big T’s and Little t’s: Utilizing Trauma-Focused CBT Strategies with Trauma of All Kinds

Session Three

Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT) is the most effective treatment modality when working with child trauma in all types of counseling settings. In this presentation, attendees will learn about the various components of TF-CBT and how to utilize them within various counseling settings with a wide range of ages and developmental considerations. Specific emphasis will include psychoeducation on trauma and abuse, coping strategies, affect expression and regulation strategies, and cognitive restructuring strategies.