Counselor / Addiction

Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Children Affected by Sexual Abuse or Trauma

2.00 - CE credit hours training

$12.50 - Cost of course

This page contains important information about the course, including training details, a comprehensive course description, learning objectives, and source references. We encourage you to review each section to gain a clear understanding of the course content, educational goals, and supporting materials before beginning your training and taking the POST TEST below.

Target audience and instructional level of this course: foundational
There is no known conflict of interest or commercial support related to this CE program.

Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Children Affected by Sexual Abuse or Trauma

Follow the link below, read the material and then take the 12 question post test

Read the Course Material:
Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Children Affected by Sexual Abuse or Trauma

12 Questions

1. The process of synapse elimination in the brain is known as ___________.
2. MRI comparisons between the brains of teenagers and the brains of young adults have shown that most of the brain areas are the same. The major difference is the immaturity of the teenage brain in the _____________ and in the myelination of that area.
3. In young people who have experienced chronic, traumatic stress, hyper-arousal and hyper-vigilance to ____________ cues may impede young people's capacity to attend to ___________ cues.
4. For teens that have been abused, neglected, or traumatized, this impulsive behavior may be even more apparent. Often, youth who have been abused, neglected, or traumatized, have developed brains that focus on survival. This survival focus can occur at the expense of ________________ that happens in the brain's cortex.
5. From "Emotional and Behavioral Impact". Regarding long-term brain effects of abuse and neglect, the article identified vulnerability to various mental illnesses. Which of the following was NOT listed?
6. The article mentions early childhood home visiting programs for expectant and new mothers who might be at-risk because of their age, income, or other circumstances, and parent education programs that promote protective factors. These are described as:
7. TF-CBT treats ______________.
8. From "Key Components" in Article Two. Which of the following is NOT listed as a key component of TF-CBT?
9. The article underscores that it is important for caregivers of abused or neglected children to have realistic expectations of their children.
10. TF-CBT has demonstrated effectiveness with children and families of different cultural and socioeconomic backgrounds
11. TF-CBT is recommended for adolescents who have a history of running away, serious cutting behaviors, or engaging in other parasuicidal behavior.
12. Compared to other treatment as usual TF-CBT demonstrates _________________ in ________________ clinical sessions.
Deepen your understanding of trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy for children affected by sexual abuse with this course. Child sexual-abuse can have wide-ranging and serious consequences that include effects on inter-personal relationships, emotional well-being, physical health and later life. Victims and survivors are also two to four times more likely to become victims of sexual, physical or emotional abuse again in their lifetime (Fisher, 2017).

Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT) is an evidence-based treatment approach shown to help children, adolescents and their caregivers overcome trauma-related difficulties. It uses cognitive-behavioral principles and exposures techniques to prevent and treat posttraumatic stress, depression and behavioral problems. Published estimates indicate that 75% or more of children and adolescents experience some form of trauma by the age of 18 (Finkelhor et al., 2009), and between 20% and 50% of them experience some level of posttraumatic stress symptoms (Copeland et al., 2007). The high rates of trauma and the long-lasting impact of PTSD have necessitated interventions such as TF-CBT that are specifically designed to meet the requirements of children and adolescents in the wake of trauma.
  • Summarize the effects of maltreatment on brain development.
  • Describe trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy for children affected by sexual abuse or trauma.
  • Describe the evidence regarding TF-CBT.
Cambria Rose Walsh, LCSW
Anthony P. Mannarino, Ph.D.
Charles Wilson, MSSW
Chadwick Center for Children and Families at Rady Children's Hospital San Diego.