Recommendations for Trauma-Focused treatment:
- Discuss the theoretical orientation of the theory behind Family Trauma Focused Therapy
- Explain the major tenets of Trauma-Focused intervention and the strategy/techniques that may be used to treat the family experiencing an absentee parent (father) and grief/loss of a parent.
- Explain how Trauma-Focused Therapy help a family that is experiencing the negative effects of an absentee parent (father) and grief/loss of a parent.
- Explain why you would recommend this treatment.
Family Trauma-Focused Therapy
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Family Trauma-Focused Therapy
Trauma refers to an event or several events which people experience that may be regarded as emotionally or physically overwhelming or harmful and lead to long-lasting negative impacts on the functioning of the person (Kleber, 2019). Trauma-focused therapy focuses on the idea that traumatic experiences have a significant negative impacts on the wellbeing of a person. This form of therapy facilitates better understanding of the association between a traumatic experience and the behavioral and emotional responses exhibited by the trauma victim. Generally, the main aim of trauma-focused therapy is to help people develop coping skills and to be able to process memories and emotions associated with trauma. The impacts of trauma often extend to entire families hence family-focused treatment should not be ignored (Boyer, 2019). The purpose of this essay is to describe the theoretical orientation behind family trauma-focused therapy, the major tenets of the intervention and how they can be applied when treating issues such as grief and loss of a parent and an absentee father.
Theoretical orientation
The trauma theory views survivors as psychologically injured persons who require help to heal from the events they experienced. The impacts of trauma may include dissociation, poor interpersonal relationships, mental health issues such as depression and substance use disorder, and impaired emotional capacities. In most cases, trauma-focused therapy focuses on the individual. However, family trauma focused therapy is based on the systems theory perspective where therapists conceptualize trauma symptoms by focusing on family interactions and prioritize the entire family instead of the individual during intervention (Papero, 2017). There are two main reasons why incorporating a family systems framework is important in trauma-focused treatment. First, traumatic experiences may affect the victim and may also result in a ripple effect throughout the entire family. All family members can also experience trauma simultaneously when they are affected by the same event such as losing a loved one or experiencing a natural disaster. Intra-familial trauma, where a family member engages in an action that traumatizes other members such as abandonment or abuse, is also an example of a situation where an event affects the whole family. Secondly, families can help validate the traumatic experience and also provide support that is essential when coping with trauma (Sells & Souder, 2017).
Major tenets of Trauma-Focused intervention
The main principles of trauma-focused interventions include promoting the safety of the victim, developing a therapeutic relationship characterized by trust and transparency, collaborating with clients to determine effective coping strategies, and empowering clients to focus on their recovery. When engaging with clients, it is important to recognize the impact of trauma on individuals and families to develop effective coping strategies (Cohen & Mannarino, 2016).
Family Treatment
The principles of trauma-focused therapy should be applied when engaging with families that have experienced trauma. When treating a family which has experienced the loss of a parent, trauma-focused techniques include stabilizing the family members by helping them to process the trauma and to adapt to the changes brought about by loss. The role of the therapist is to assess how grief has impacted relationship patterns within the family and to ensure that each member can express their emotions regarding the loss (Bergman et al., 2017). Treatment for families experiencing absentee fathers should focus on establishing a stable and secure environment that allows each member, including the children, to share what they feel (Magqamfana & Bazana, 2020). Trauma-focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT) can be used to change distorted perspectives such as family members blaming themselves for the absentee father. TF-CBT can also help the family members learn skills that will help them deal with stressors associated with an absentee father and be empowered to use their strengths to cope effectively (Cohen & Mannarino, 2016).
Benefits of Trauma-focused Treatment to the Family
Trauma-focused therapy is helpful to families experiencing loss of a parent and those with absentee parents by identifying symptoms such as hopelessness, constant pre-occupation with loss, and feelings of isolation and detachment. Therapy sessions help to identify triggers, promote better trauma processing, and reduce negative symptoms while promoting better communication among family members. In addition, trauma-focused therapy ensures that families cope by supporting each other (Boyer, 2019).
I would recommend trauma-focused therapy to families because traumatic events can be intolerable and unbearable for both families and individuals. Dealing with trauma promotes better processing of such events and encourages better management of emotional and cognitive symptoms. I also feel that trauma-focused therapy has both short-term and long-term benefits for individuals and families because dealing with trauma as soon as it happens reduces the risk of emotional and mental disorders now and in the future.
Conclusion
Traumatic events result in negative emotions and may lead to poor mental and physical health for individuals and families. Trauma-focused treatment can enhance coping abilities for both individuals and families affected by trauma. Trauma-focused therapy can enhance communication among families and ensure that members support each other. Furthermore, trauma therapy can empower individuals and enhance resilience among families by encouraging the use of family and individual strengths when coping with trauma.
References
Bergman, A., Axberg, U., & Hanson, E. (2017). When a parent dies – a systematic review of the effects of support programs for parentally bereaved children and their caregivers. BMC Palliative Care, 16(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12904-017-0223-y
Boyer, W. (2019). Trauma-Focused Family Therapy with Children and Their Families. The Family Journal, 27(2), 175-182. https://doi.org/10.1177/1066480719832503
Cohen, J., & Mannarino, A. (2016). Trauma-focused Cognitive Behavior Therapy for Traumatized Children and Families. Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Clinics of North America, 24(3), 557-570. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chc.2015.02.005
Kleber, R. (2019). Trauma and Public Mental Health: A Focused Review. Frontiers in Psychiatry, 10. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2019.00451
Magqamfana, S., & Bazana, S. (2020). Absent fathers: Psychological and socio-economic implications for black children and directions for future research. Journal of Psychology in Africa, 30(2), 169-173. https://doi.org/10.1080/14330237.2020.1744299
Papero, D. (2017). Trauma and the Family: A Systems-oriented Approach. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Family Therapy, 38(4), 582-594. https://doi.org/10.1002/anzf.1269
Sells, S., & Souder, E. (2017). Treating the Traumatized Child: A Step-by-Step Family Systems Approach. Springer.