If you’ve experienced trauma, there are several therapies designed to help you process what happened and support your recovery.
Two of the most commonly used approaches are Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (TF-CBT) and Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing (EMDR).
Both therapies are evidence-based (which means they use a clinical approach that combines the best available research, their professional expertise, and your individual needs, preferences, and background). They are recommended by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) for the treatment of Post‑traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).
Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (TF-CBT) is a common therapy that can help you work through traumatic experiences, it’s a structured, short-term therapy that combines practical Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) strategies with techniques designed to help you safely process traumatic experiences
Understanding Cognitive Behavioural Therapy
While both approaches aim to help you process traumatic memories and reduce distress, they work in slightly different ways. Here’s some information about what you might expect if you choose Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (TF-CBT). Find out more about Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing
Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (TF-CBT)
What is psychotherapy?
Psychotherapy, or talk therapy, is a collaborative treatment based on the relationship between an individual and a trained mental health professional. It involves discussing emotional difficulties, mental health conditions, or life challenges in a safe, confidential environment to change, heal, and develop better coping mechanisms.
When a traumatic experience hasn’t been fully processed, it can sometimes feel as though the memory is “stuck.” When something triggers that memory, you might feel as if you’re back in that moment again, reliving the experience rather than simply remembering it.
Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, aims to help you move from reliving the trauma to remembering it as something that happened in the past.
What is Trauma-Focused CBT (TF-CBT)
TF-CBT is a structured, short-term therapy that combines traditional cognitive behavioural techniques with specific approaches designed to help you safely process traumatic experiences. If you and your therapist decide that TF-CBT is the right approach for you, your therapy may include the following stages:
Assessment
At the beginning, your therapist will usually spend one or two sessions getting to know you and your experiences. Together, you’ll explore the difficulties you’re currently facing, how they are affecting your life, and what you would like to gain from therapy.
You’ll also set clear goals for your therapy, and these will be reviewed throughout your sessions to make sure the work stays focused on what matters most to you.
Psychoeducation
Part of TF-CBT involves helping you understand trauma and its effects. Your therapist will talk with you about how traumatic experiences can affect thoughts, emotions, and behaviour.
This stage is often reassuring because it helps you see that many trauma responses are normal reactions to very difficult experiences, rather than something being “wrong” with you.
Trauma Processing
One technique used in TF-CBT is called reliving. This involves describing the traumatic event in your own words, usually in the first person, while working with your therapist in a safe and supported environment.
Sometimes this account may be recorded, and you may be encouraged to listen to it between sessions while noting how distressed you feel. Over time, many people find that their distress gradually reduces as the memory becomes easier to process.
During this stage, you and your therapist will also identify “hot spots.” These are the moments in the memory that feel especially intense or distressing. Together, you’ll work on updating these moments with new information you now know, such as recognising that you survived or that the danger has passed.
Stimulus Discrimination
Trauma triggers can sometimes make you feel as though the event is happening again. Stimulus discrimination helps you notice the difference between what happened then and what is happening now.
By identifying these differences, you can begin to retrain your mind to recognise that you are safe in the present moment, which can help reduce distress when triggers appear.
Reducing Safety Behaviours and Gradual Exposure
After trauma, it’s very common to develop coping strategies to avoid situations that feel threatening. For example, if you were involved in a road traffic collision, you might avoid certain roads or times of day.
While this avoidance can bring short-term relief, it can sometimes reinforce the belief that you won’t be able to cope. In TF-CBT, you and your therapist will gently explore these behaviours and gradually test them in safe ways, helping you rebuild confidence over time.
Blueprint for the Future and Relapse Prevention
One of the strengths of CBT is that it helps you develop practical skills you can continue to use long after therapy ends.
Towards the end of treatment, you and your therapist will look back at the progress you’ve made and create a plan for the future. This might include strategies for managing triggers, maintaining your progress, and responding if difficult moments arise again.
The goal is for you to leave therapy feeling better equipped to support your own wellbeing, with tools you can use whenever you need them.
