The information in this program outline is provided by the program representative and edited by the CEBC staff. The Trauma-Focused Coping (TFC) program has been rated by the CEBC in the area of: Trauma Treatment (Child & Adolescent).

• Types of Maltreatment: Physical Abuse, Sexual Abuse, Physical Neglect, Emotional Abuse, Exposure to Domestic Violence
• Target Population: Children and adolescents in schools who have suffered a traumatic exposure (e.g., disaster, violence, murder, suicide, fire, accidents)

TFC targets the internalizing effects of exposure to trauma in children and adolescents, with an emphasis on treating posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and the collateral symptoms of depression, anxiety, anger, and an external locus of control [i.e., tendency to attribute one’s experiences to fate, chance, or luck]. The intervention utilizes social learning theory and a skills-oriented cognitive-behavioral approach that is carried out in 14-week sessions of gradual exposure, moving from psycho-education, anxiety management skill building, and cognitive coping training to finally trauma narrative and cognitive restructuring activities.

The goals of Trauma-Focused Coping include:

• Reduction/end of PTSD, depression, and anxiety symptoms.
• Reduced anger expression.
• A move to internal locus of control (i.e., tendency to believe that one has control one’s own destiny).