JR (not his real name) was very bitter when he came to the emergency shelter at Family Connection, Inc., in Birmingham, AL. He’d clashed with his mom and her boyfriend and experienced physical abuse. He didn’t want a relationship with his mom anymore and suffered from low self-esteem. He thought his mom had chosen the boyfriend over him, and he felt no one would ever choose him.
To help JR come to terms with the things he’d gone through, clinical staff at Family Connection used a popular evidence-based practice called Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. TF-CBT, as it’s called, helps youth see how post-traumatic stress manifests itself in their thoughts, emotions and behaviors. The therapy’s goal is to provide an outlet for youth to find what works for them—what soothes them and lets them heal emotionally.
In JR’s case, “We worked through all those feelings, and got Mom involved in counseling too,” says Residential Program Director Brandi Horton. “She ultimately ended up breaking up with the boyfriend and making changes for herself too once she saw how her behaviors were affecting her son.”
In the end, TF-CBT enabled JR to return home. His relationship with his mom blossomed, and he became more involved in school, Horton says.
Download this TF-CBT Practice Checklist (PDF, 36.6KB) for a list of strategies for identifying appropriate TF-CBT cases and using the practice.
Photo credit: Cuito Cuanavale, Flickr.
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