The Child and Family Traumatic Stress Intervention (CFTSI) is a brief (5-8 session) therapy model developed by the Yale Child Study Center and is designed to bring families into treatment as soon as possible after a child (ages 7-18) has experienced a trauma. Research has demonstrated that the modality is successful in preventing the development of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).
Session One:
- Clinician and Caregiver meet without the child
- Clinician provides an introduction to the model and establishes a therapeutic relationship
- Caregiver discusses presenting trauma issue
- Caregiver completes measures of their own trauma history, as well as rating their own level of distress
- Caregiver and Clinician discuss information about the child’s developmental, educational, and social histories
- Caregiver completes measures of the child’s trauma history, trauma symptoms, and feelings
- Clinician provides psychoeducation about trauma and its impact on children and families
Session Two:
- Clinician and Caregiver meet without the caregiver
- Clinician provides an introduction to the model and establishes a therapeutic relationship
- Child completes measures of their own trauma history, trauma symptoms, and feelings
- Clinician provides psychoeducation about trauma and its impact on children and families; develops a safety plan if necessary
Session Three:
- Clinician, Caregiver, and Child meet together
- Together, they discuss relevant trauma symptoms and differences in responses to the previously administered assessments
- Clinician provides ideas for coping strategies for managing stress and anxiety related to trauma
Session Four:
- Clinician, Caregiver, and Child meet together
- Together they review progress
- Practice coping skills and introduce new skills as necessary
- Additional assessment of distress and comparisons of responses between caregiver and child
Session Five:
- Clinician, Caregiver, and Child meet together
- Further review of coping skills practice
- Additional assessment of distress and comparisons of responses between caregiver and child
- Plan for additional referrals as necessary