Trauma-Focused Therapy

At Rapha International, our mission is to end the trafficking and sexual abuse of children  - one child, one family, and one community at a time. The foundation of our survivor-care model is to provide the best possible care for survivors, including trauma-focused therapy.

Each child that we serve needs intensive, specialized support. Rapha’s survivor care program includes services in four domains that we call the Keys to Freedom. Caring staff walk with each child to empower them to make decisions for their future.

Why Trauma-Focused Therapy?

Child survivors need intensive, specialized services. Trauma-informed and evidence-based practices, including elements of Play Therapy, Trauma Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, and Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing, are designed to mitigate the impacts of trauma and restore children to health.

Play Therapy

The Association for Play Therapy (APT) defines Play Therapy as, “the use of the therapeutic powers of play to help clients prevent or resolve psychosocial difficulties and achieve optimal growth and development.” Play is a child’s language- an expansion of expression and identity. Play helps children understand themselves, their experiences, and the people around them. The therapeutic use of play allows therapists to guide and support children in processing emotions, practicing social roles and situations, and solving problems. Play Therapy is best suited to children ages three through twelve. In addition to trauma processing, Play Therapy can be used as an intervention into many social, emotional, and behavioral disorders (Lin & Bratton, 2015). Independent researchers have demonstrated Play Therapy’s effectiveness across ages and genders, and with a variety of presenting concerns (Drisko, Corvino, Kelly, & Nielsen, 2019). 

TF-CBT

Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT) is an evidence-based treatment for children and adolescents impacted by trauma. The focus of the treatment is to assist the child in developing coping strategies and to reduce trauma-related symptoms like depression, anxiety, and acting out behaviors. It is designed to reduce negative emotional and behavioral responses to trauma.  TF-CBT is best suited for children and adolescents who remember being exposed to trauma and who experience PTSD symptoms, depression, anxiety, or trauma-related behavioral problems. The model has demonstrated effectiveness in various settings, with children from diverse cultural backgrounds, and with individuals who have experienced different types of trauma (Cohen & Mannarino, 2015). 

EMDR

Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) is a cutting edge psychotherapy designed to heal symptoms related to trauma. The model works on the principle that the brain’s information processing system naturally moves towards mental health. A traumatic experience can block that movement, but those blocks can be removed. Specific protocols and procedures involving eye movement exercises, or other motor or sensory exercises, allow therapists to help clients remove the blocks and activate natural healing processes in the brain. In independent research studies, EMDR has been found to be an effective method of treatment for children and adolescents with PTSD, both in terms of post-traumatic and anxiety symptoms (Karadag, Gokcen, & Sarp, 2019). 

References

Cohen, J.A. & Mannarino, A.P. (2015) Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Traumatized Children and Families. Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Clinics of North America, 24(3), pp. 557-570.

Drisko, J., Corvino, P., Kelly, L., Nielsen, J. (2019) Is Individual Play Therapy Effective? Research on Social Work Practice, pp. 1-9.

Karagag, M., Gokcen, C., Sarp, A.S. (2019) EMDR therapy in children and adolescents who have post-traumatic stress disorder: a six week follow-up study. International Journal of Psychiatry in Clinical Practice, 24(1), pp. 77-82.

Lin, Y.W. & Bratton, S.D. (2015) A Meta-Analytic Review of Child-Centered Play Therapy Approaches. Journal of Counseling and Development, 93, pp. 45-58.