Trauma Focused CBT (TF-CBT) is a specific type of talk therapy for people who have experienced trauma and who are suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Many people will experience trauma at some point in their life: an experience which is threatening, scary, overwhelming, or out of our control. Common traumas include: accidents, being a victim of physical or sexual violence, or being in a life-threatening situation such as a war or natural disaster.

TF-CBT is a collaborative form of therapy where you and your counsellor will form a trusting working relationship and work to resolve all of the symptoms of a traumatic event or PTSD. Counselling Strategies may include:

Grounding and stabilization practise techniques to manage the overwhelming feelings and symptoms.

Relaxation exercises: yoga, progressive muscle relaxation, visualization, mindfulness deep breathing and using grounding tools.

Work with memories: view the memories of the trauma in order to process them properly. This can be done by talking it through, deliberately imagining the events, or writing or drawing about it. This is called memory processing and is done very carefully and deliberately.

Work with beliefs: people tend to try making sense of what happens to them. Belief work in TF-CBT is about making sense of what you thought at the time of the trauma, and deciding on a fair way to think about yourself and your situation now.

Reclaiming your life: it is very common after trauma to start avoiding things that leave you feeling uncomfortable, but this can begin to shrink your world. Effective therapy is about taking back the things that you used to enjoy, or building a new life that you can value.