Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TFCBT)

What is TFCBT Therapy?

TF-CBT 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.

Combining Techniques:

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 have influence your current thoughts, feelings, and behaviors.

Structured Approach:

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.

Phases of Treatment:

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.

Trauma Narrative:

What separates TFCBT from other trauma approaches is that it goes into depth into your trauma memories.  We do this through a “trauma narrative” where the therapist asks you to share your trauma memories on a surface level (usually a timeline from beginning to end), and then go a little deeper and a little deeper into the trauma memories until the trauma is resolved.  Each time you go through the trauma memory in a safe and supportive environment (in therapy), your body slowly learns that the trauma is in the past and that you are safe in the current moment.   When your body learns that you are safe, your body stops trying to protect you from that trauma (e.g. your body learns that it can sleep deeply because it doesn’t have to be listening for danger while you sleep anymore).

Safety and Control:

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.

Empowerment and Resilience:

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.

Evidence-Based:

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.

Get Started on TFCBT Therapy:

If you are interested in TFCBT therapy, please call/text Long Beach Therapy at 562-310-9741.