TF-CBT
What does TF-CBT stand for?
Trauma Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
What is trauma?
A deeply distressing or disturbing experience that overwhelms an individual’s ability to cope, causing lasting emotional, psychological, and physical injury. It stems from events threatening life or safety—such as violence, abuse, disasters, or accidents—and can alter brain function, resulting in hypersensitivity to threats.
True or False: Domestic violence is a private family matter.
False. Keeping domestic violence a secret helps no one and has been shown to harm children. Each and every act of domestic violence needs to be taken seriously.
What happens to our thinking and emotional brain when we are triggered or experience an intense emotion?
They cannot communicate and we act on our emotions without thinking
True or False: Trauma can impact our behaviors, mental health, relationships, emotions, physical health, and how our brain functions
True
What is physical abuse?
It involves hurting or trying to hurt a partner by hitting, kicking, burning, grabbing, pinching, shoving, slapping, hair-pulling, biting, denying medical care or forcing alcohol and/or drug use, or using other physical force.
What are the components of TF-CBT?
P: psychoeducation
R: relaxation
A: affect regulation (emotions)
C: cognitive coping
T: trauma narrative
I: In-vivo exposure
C: conjoint session
E: enhancing safety
Can a person experience more than one trauma?
Yes
How do kids who have seen DV act/behave?
Kids can become hypervigilant and have difficulties managing their emotions. They might feel guilty or think they did something wrong. They might have physical symptoms (called somatic reactions) such as headaches or stomach aches.
True or False: When our thinking brain and emotional brain cannot communicate, we are more likely to use our coping skills.
False
True or False: Trauma impacts our relationships with others.
True. People often struggle to form or maintain relationships, lack trust and a sense of safety with others, and struggle with social skills
What is Emotional abuse
It includes undermining a person's sense of self-worth through constant criticism; belittling one's abilities; name-calling or other verbal abuse; damaging a partner's relationship with the children; or not letting a partner see friends and family.
What is the purpose of TF-CBT?
To help understand trauma, heal my own trauma, and help me feel better
What are 3 examples of traumatic events?
Physical abuse, sexual abuse, emotional abuse, neglect, community or school violence, witnessing or experiencing domestic violence, natural disasters, sudden or violent loss of a loved one, war or acts of terrorism, serious accident or life threatening illness, etc.
Domestic violence (DV) is:
A- When adults in a relationship try to control each other through physically hurting, threatening harm, calling each other names, not allowing the other to have friends.
B- siblings fight
C-both
A. can be defined as a pattern of behavior in any relationship that is used to gain or maintain power and control over an intimate partner. Abuse is physical, sexual, emotional, economic or psychological actions or threats of actions that influence another person. This includes any behaviors that frighten, intimidate, terrorize, manipulate, hurt, humiliate, blame, injure, or wound someone. Domestic abuse can happen to anyone of any race, age, sexual orientation, religion, or gender. It can occur within a range of relationships including couples who are married, living together or dating. Domestic violence affects people of all socioeconomic backgrounds and education levels.
What is fight, flight, or freeze?
It is the survival mode our brain goes into when we are faced with danger. When we experience trauma we go into survival mode more often.
How does trauma impact our emotions? (Give 2 examples)
Difficulty controlling emotions, difficulty recognizing emotions, difficulty using coping skills, increased sensitivity to stress, feel shame, guilt, anger, worry, hopeless, helpless, or scared, more reactive and irritable
What is psychological abuse?
It is causing fear by intimidation; threatening physical harm to self, partner or children; destruction of pets and property; “mind games”; or forcing isolation from friends, family, school and/or work.
Why are you doing TF-CBT?
To work through trauma that is impacting your life.
1. Who can have a traumatic experience?
2. Does everyone react or experience trauma in the same way?
1. Anyone can have a traumatic experience, from little children to elderly people.
2. No, everyone has different reactions, and some people are more affected than others.
Do people in DV relationships deserve the abuse they get?
No. No one deserves to be abused. People are responsible for their own actions.
True or False: Trauma can make it hard for us to solve problems, focus, and it can change the way our brain works
True
How does trauma impact our behaviors? (Give 2 examples)
trouble regulating ourselves, more aggression, poor impulse control, sexual acting out, more withdrawn/isolated, reactive
What is stalking?
It is any pattern of behavior that serves no legitimate purpose and is intended to harass, annoy, or terrorize the victim. Typical stalking activities include repeated telephone calls, unwelcome letters or gifts by mail, surveillance at work, home and other places that the victim is known to frequent. Stalking usually escalates.
Where are you at in TF-CBT?
Psychoeducation
What is a trauma trigger?
An internal or external stimulus—such as a smell, sound, place, or word—that reminds an individual of a past traumatic event, causing an immediate, involuntary, and often intense emotional or physical stress response.
What are some reasons children who have seen DV don’t talk about DV?
Children may be scared that they will become hurt, they do not know who to tell, they are embarrassed, they are unaware of the impact...
What can we do when we are triggered or experiencing an intense emotion and our thinking brain and emotional brain cannot communicate?
Talk to an adult, try to take deep breaths, try to use other coping skills
True or False: Avoiding trauma helps me in the long run.
False
What is financial or economic abuse?
It is making or attempting to make a person financially dependent by maintaining total control over financial resources, withholding access to money, and/or forbidding attendance at school or employment.