Who Needs Trauma Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy?

Trauma focused cognitive behavioral therapy is a treatment method employed when a patient has experienced a serious traumatic event. In cases where trauma is involved as a contributing factor for addiction, trauma focused cognitive behavioral therapy can be a beneficial tool for treatment.

Understanding who needs trauma focused cognitive behavioral therapy when calling 800-996-6135(Who Answers?) can better help those with trauma and addiction seek treatment.

Adolescents with PTSD

According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Child Welfare Bureau, trauma focused cognitive behavioral therapy is commonly used to help treat children and teens who have experienced a traumatic event. The method is designed to help patients deal with extreme negative emotions and behavioral responses to trauma in a way that is healthy.

It can be beneficial for adolescents, as most teens and children are prone to expressing their distress in ways that are harmful to themselves and/or others. Many of the learning and cognitive theories that provide the basis for the method are also based on the developmental stages in children, so the method is often directed more at children and adolescents with PTSD than adults.

Adults with PTSD

Trauma focused cognitive behavioral therapy helps adults overcome past traumatic experiences.

While the National Crime Victims Research and Treatment Center states that trauma focused cognitive behavioral therapy is successful more with those under the age of eighteen, it can be directed towards adults who experienced trauma in their younger years.

Trauma does not have an expiration date and PTSD related to a traumatic at the age of thirteen can continue to have an impact at thirty. In some cases, an adult with childhood trauma may not be able to cope with or understand what happened to them as an adult.

They may have been very young when the event occurred, and while it is affecting them as an adult, their understanding of the situation and the memory of the event is that of a child. By addressing the childhood trauma with trauma focused cognitive behavioral therapy, many adult patients are able to overcome and heal from it at the pace that they needed when it first occurred.

Family and Loved Ones

Trauma can affect more than the person who experienced it directly. Often, friends, family, and other loved ones have difficulties coping with what has occurred to the patient. They may blame themselves or have developed their own distress while they tried to help their loved one.

By participating in trauma focused cognitive behavioral therapy sessions, they can learn to handle the situation better. Often, the therapy method is designed to help give those in the patient’s support system the skills necessary to be successful at home and in the real world.

If you or a loved one is struggling with addiction, please call 800-996-6135(Who Answers?) for help. You will be able to speak with one of our caring specialists about the treatment options available for you.