Teaching & Training

Background

At least a third of children and young people are exposed to potentially traumatic events, and a considerable proportion of those will develop Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) or Complex PTSD – distressing, debilitating and enduring conditions. Trauma-focused Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (TF-CBT) has a strong evidence base supporting its use with children and young People with PTSD and is strongly recommended by the 2018 NICE PTSD guidelines as the first-line intervention.

Description

This two-day remote workshop describes in detail the cognitive model of PTSD on which TF-CBT is based. The model is then used to consider:

1. How children, young people and their families react to traumatic events, including a particular focus on PTSD (both ICD-11 and DSM-5-TR) and Complex PTSD.

2. How PTSD develops and is maintained.

3. How TF-CBT can be used to reduce symptoms of PTSD and Complex PTSD.

The workshop covers the importance of setting up the context around therapy, and then focuses on the core elements of TF-CBT. Specific difficulties in working with traumatised children and young people are considered, and the evidence supporting TF-CBT is presented and evaluated. Clinical examples and formulations are used throughout the training to illustrate how the model and the skills can be put into practice. In addition to direct teaching, there will be opportunities for questions and discussions as a whole group, as well as some small group discussion and exercises.

Suitable participants

This workshop is aimed at practitioners who have a therapeutic role with children and young people who have experienced traumatic events.

For all participants, this course is intended to increase their understanding of how traumatic events affect children and young people. It is expected that even those with no previous knowledge or experience of CBT will develop an improved understanding of trauma which should influence their practice. However, this two-day workshop does not on its own equip a practitioner to offer Trauma-focused Cognitive Behavioural Therapy to Children and Young People with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. Those suitably trained in CBT and who continue to receive appropriate supervision should feel competent to provide CBT specifically for children and young people with PTSD

Accreditation

This workshop is approved by the British Psychological Society for the purposes of continuing professional development. The workshop has previously been approved by the European Society for Traumatic Stress Studies (ESTSS) and can contribute 20 points towards the ESTSS Certificate in Psychotraumatology on successful completion of 20 multiple choice questions.   

(https://estss.org/estss-certification/) If you would like this workshop to count towards certification, please ensure that you make this clear in advance when making the booking.

Self-care

The course will include discussion of traumatised children, young people and their families and some details of the traumatic events. Such discussions may trigger emotional reactions in participants. However, some participants may find themselves affected more strongly, for example if they have their own experiences of trauma or have other pressures on them. The course includes some discussion of the impact of the work on clinicians and how the model can be used to help clinicians with that impact. However, participants are encouraged to take responsibility for themselves and do what they need to do, to look after themselves.

Age of children and young people

TF-CBT has been used effectively with pre-schoolers, and although those working with pre-school age children should find aspects of the training that they can adapt, it is principally intended for those working with children of school age.