Trauma Focused Cognitive-Behavior Therapy

Matthew’s life collapsed, too, under the weight of that awful morning. Just 6 and extremely close to his father, he began crying and expressing anger with alarming frequency. He stopped reading.

Matthew and his mother were assigned to work with Michelle, a therapist trained in Trauma-Focused Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy for Grief. She taught them skills to handle anger and anxiety. The crying and yelling started to subside.

Part of the therapy was helping Matthew write a book about his father and how he died. He then was scheduled to share the narrative with his mother. When Matthew began to share it, he began to cry and crawled under his mother’s chair. Matthew’s mother responded by reaching out to hold him. He allowed her to soothe him and together, they practice a relaxation skill taught by Michelle. Michelle then encouraged Matthew and his mother to read the book together while she held him.

When they finished, Matthew told the therapist that “sometimes it is just someone’s time to go, and then they die.” He was beginning to make meaning of the tragedy.

Next, Michelle worked with Matthew to create a memory box, filled with mementos of his father. When the box was completed, Matthew took it home and opened it when he wanted to think or talk about his father. Only weeks after shutting down at mention of his father, Matthew started to learn that traumatic recollections can be delicately redirected into memories more warm and therapeutic.

When applied astutely and gently, cognitive behavioral therapy works to help children speak more openly and learn how to heal.

He is having nightmares, wetting his bed, having tantrums, and afraid of gymnastics altogether. His supportive mother is torn between trying to give him time and helping him realize that life does go on. She read about how helpful Cognitive Behavioral Therapy can be and spoke to our intake coordinator about that intervention. But we can’t see him yet, because of our waiting list. His school is pressuring her to address his behavior. If we don’t see Carlos and his mother soon, she will have to seek other – most likely less effective — care or give up.

If we don’t intervene, Carlos will almost certainly face social and emotional problems in adolescence and adulthood. He is at significant risk for dropping out of school, succeeding in workplace and family life.

A moment of abuse can last a lifetime.

She urgently needs to get off the PARTNERS waiting list to receive two types of interventions: short-term to handle the trauma, and long-term to separate from her family's history and create her own life direction.

With most of Emilia’s key family members knowing only Spanish, other therapy has been ineffective. She needs top-caliber intervention that is culturally-sensitive.

“I came to PARTNERS to be involved in my daughter’s therapy with my husband, but I wasn’t sure whether there would be a Spanish-speaking therapist for us who would also speak English to Emilia,” her mother recalled. “PARTNERS gave my family exactly what we needed, and even more: a multicultural understanding of our Nicaraguan background. After 6 months this allowed Emilia to feel normal again.”

Emilia learned that the abuse wasn’t her fault, and grew unashamed to speak openly with her parents. The whole family became involved — her three sisters even came to celebrate her graduation from therapy.

“Gracias por existir PARTNERS! Quedémonos socios para combatir el silencio del abuso de nuestras comunidades.”

Translated: “Thank you for existing, PARTNERS! Let’s remain partners to combat the silence of abuse in our communities together.”