“Healing doesn’t mean the damage never existed. It means the damage no longer controls our lives”. – Unknown
TFCBT stands for Trauma Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. It’s a therapy model based on Cognitive Behavioral Therapy that specifically addresses trauma. It’s designed to help you process and heal from traumatic experiences and PTSD symptoms in a safe and supportive environment.
TFCBT combines cognitive-behavioral techniques with other methods that are specifically tailored to people who have experienced some type of trauma. It’s about understanding your trauma and changing how your traumatic experiences influence your current thoughts, feelings, and behaviors.
TFCBT is structured and typically shorter-term. Each session is designed to build upon the last, helping you gain skills and coping mechanisms while processing the trauma.
Initially, we’ll focus on skills for stress management and coping. Then we’ll gradually, (at your pace), work on addressing and processing your trauma memories through a trauma narrative. Finally, we’ll focus on consolidating your skills and preparing for future challenges.
What sets TFCBT apart is its focus on exploring trauma memories in depth through a “trauma narrative.” This involves sharing your trauma on a surface level (like a timeline) and gradually delving deeper until resolution is achieved. Repeatedly revisiting the trauma in a safe, supportive therapy environment helps your body recognize the trauma as past and that you are safe now. As a result, your body stops overprotecting you (e.g., allowing deep sleep without being on high alert for danger).
The first step of TFCBT is to ensure you feel safe and in control. We’ll work on strategies to help you manage distress and emotional regulation. It’s important that you feel comfortable and ready before we move on to processing the trauma. Since trauma is about losing control (or someone/something taking the control from you), you being in control is a key factor in TFCBT.
The ultimate goal of TFCBT is to empower you and build resilience. It’s about helping you regain a sense of control and self-confidence, and learning skills that you can use to cope effectively in the future.
Newer types of trauma therapy have evidence-based research to support it (e.g. EMDR and FLASH), however, TFCBT was one of the first trauma recovery theories to have evidence-based research support it. Evidence-based research means that it has been researched and shown to be effective for adults and children who have experienced trauma.
The first step in therapy is building a trusting and confidential relationship between you and your therapist. This is crucial because a strong therapeutic alliance can significantly impact the effectiveness (and speed) of the therapy.
If you feel that the therapist is providing you a safe and non-judgmental place to share your thoughts and experiences, you will be more likely to achieve your goals.
At Long Beach Therapy, our goal is to provide a safe and non-judgmental place where we can help our client’s reach their full potential by processing feelings (past and present issues), improving communication, and exploring family issues that may be a barrier to success. We have worked with adults, children, adolescents, couples, and families with various issues including:
Depression, Anxiety, Relationship Issues, Increasing Intimacy, Coming Out Issues, Sexual Orientation & Gender Identity, Self Esteem, Trauma & PTSD, Sexual Assault, Bereavement, and more.
Holistic therapy, which is an approach to mental health that considers the whole person, including their physical, emotional, social, and spiritual wellbeing, rather than focusing solely on symptoms to to bring about comprehensive wellness and balance....
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), which involves the therapist guiding you to recalling distressing memories while simultaneously directing your eye movements...
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), which focuses on changing unhelpful thinking and behavior patterns. This is an evidence-based approach which has been shown in extensive research to be an effective therapy approach...
TFCBT is a therapy model based on Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) that specifically addresses trauma. It’s designed to help you process and heal from traumatic experiences and PTSD symptoms in a safe and supportive environment.
FLASH Therapy, which is a less intense therapy that uses similar concepts of EMDR in healing distressing memories that are causing issues in your life. FLASH therapy involves the therapist having you recall fragments of distressing memories so that issues that are too scary to focus in on for long periods of time can be addressed....
Brainspotting is a therapy technique that helps identify and heal where your specific issue is stored within your neurobiology to help you get “unstuck” from the issue and move forward in your life....
If you are ready to start, please call/text us or CLICK HERE to schedule your first appointment. If you have questions about starting therapy in Long Beach (or online therapy), please call/text us at 562-310-9741.
