Cue-Centered Therapy for Youth Experiencing Posttraumatic Symptoms: A Structured Multi-Modal Intervention, Therapist Guide
Abstract
The experience of childhood trauma can lead to a broad spectrum of long-term psychological consequences, including depression, anxiety, and posttraumatic stress disorder. The severity and longevity of these results are a function of a complex individual and universal equation that includes biological and environmental variables. In recognition of the growing need for a manualized treatment that aims to increase youth insight into how an individual’s history of exposure to trauma may relate to current emotional experiences and how these, in turn, may be linked to maladaptive behaviors, cue-centered therapy (CCT), was developed. CCT is a structured, multimodal intervention designed to reduce posttraumatic stress, depression, and anxiety in children exposed chronically to interpersonal violence. By incorporating diverse psychoeducational approaches with evidence-based treatments for childhood trauma, CCT empowers children to become their own agents of change. By addressing the impact of allostatic load; educating youth and caregivers about the conditioning process that occurs through repeated exposure to trauma; using insight-oriented strategies and visual icons, and a physiological approach; CCT is a unique protocol that builds on the greatest strengths of its predecessors. This manual includes an introduction by the author, Dr. Victor Carrion, that details the history of CCT and discusses posttraumatic stress disorder. Instructions are provided for therapists on how to use this manual, including an outline of the complete course of CCT, individual session outlines, summaries, forms, and take-home assignments.
Keywords:
allostatic load,
anxiety,
childhood trauma,
cue-centered therapy,
depression,
exposure,
physiology,
posttraumatic stress disorder,
psychoeducation,
treatment protocol
Bibliographic Information
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- Print Publication Date:
- Nov 2015
- Print ISBN-13:
- 9780190201326
- Published online:
- Mar 2016
- DOI:
- 10.1093/med:psych/9780190201326.001.0001
