TF-CBT is an evidence-based treatment designed to help children, adolescents and adults recover from significant and ongoing effects following a traumatic event/s. It is a time-limited intervention, and may include:

• Psychoeducation; providing information about why some people develop negative symptoms following trauma

• Management techniques, such as anxiety management strategies, grounding exercises and relaxation techniques that offer emotional and behavioural regulation and stability

• Cognitive and narrative processing to reduce the fear associated with thinking about a difficult memory, and challenge unhelpful thoughts or cognitive / memory distortions

• Enhance safety, resilience and future coping with adversity

TF-CBT is collaboratively tailored to individual needs, both in terms of the elements provided and the pace of therapy. TF-CBT is primarily a talking therapy, but can include creative approaches such as drawing and re-enacting difficult experiences using dolls / props.

TF-CBT is recommended in the NICE guidelines.

Like TF-CBT, EMDR is a therapeutic approach which supports people cope with trauma and difficult experiences that are affecting their emotional well being.  What makes EMDR different to CBT is that it includes bi-lateral brain stimulation.  This can be done in a number of different ways, such as by asking an individual to follow a light or fingers move from side to side, alternate tapping of the shoulders / knees and feet movement.  It is believed that stimulating different sides of the brain can help process past trauma, and the dual-attention of focusing on something in the here and now, such as a moving light or fingers, can help ground people in the present.

EMDR is a time limited therapeutic approach and there is a growing wealth of evidence for it’s beneficial effects with both people experiencing trauma and a range of other difficulties.

EMDR is recommended in the NICE guidelines for the treatment of PTSD.

MBT is a form of psychotherapy designed to help individuals better understand their own mental states and those of others. It focuses on improving capacity to "mentalize," which means recognizing and interpreting emotions, thoughts, and intentions—both yours and those of the people around you. The therapy combines elements from psychodynamic, cognitive-behavioural, and systemic approaches.

The main goals of MBT include:

• Enhancing emotional regulation.

• Strengthening interpersonal relationships.

• Improving behavioural control.

• Building a stable sense of self.

Sessions can involve individual, couple, family and group therapy, where therapists create a safe and collaborative environment to explore emotions and perspectives. There is a growing evidence base to support the use of MBT with a range of populations.

MFT brings together 6-8 families who have a problem or difficulty in common. Two practitioners work with the families to create different contexts via different, often playful, activities that help families to mobilise their own resources and make positive changes. Families support and learn from each other, experimenting with new ways of interacting which bring about possibilities for change.

MFT has been successfully employed for a wide range of different problems, including different types of trauma. Whilst there is a strong evidence base to support the use of MFT with some disorders such as eating disorders and psychosis, there has been no research yet about it’s effectiveness with trauma.

Family therapy views problems within the context of the family system as a whole, rather than isolating them within individuals. It emphasises the interconnectedness of family members, exploring how their interactions, behaviors, and communication patterns contribute to the challenges they face.

The family is seen as a living system, where changes to one part affect the whole. The goal is to address problematic dynamics and improve the situation for all members of the family. Therapists often work on understanding relational patterns, exploring unspoken rules or beliefs within the family, and helping to foster healthier interactions. This approach is particularly effective for families experiencing long-standing conflicts, major life changes, or recurring issues.

There is a strong evidence base for the effectiveness of family therapy for a wide range of mental health and relational difficulties.

Attachment-based therapy focuses on developing or rebuilding trust and regulating and expressing emotions. It takes in to account how how early experiences with caregivers have shaped attachment patterns and aims to build secure attachment behaviours. This type of therapy is used to treat issues related to unresolved childhood trauma, relationship problems, mood disorders, anxiety, and communication difficulties. 

NET is a time-limited, trauma focused therapy that is designed to help people who have experienced complex or repeated trauma.  This may include people from refugee and asylum seeking backgrounds, survivors of war, torture or childhood abuse.  This collaborative therapy helps individuals construct a chronological narrative, processing and integrating traumatic events within a coherent ‘story’.  This ‘story’ also focuses on positives, aiming to support individuals reclaim their life story from trauma, fostering resilience and healing. 

 This therapy can be delivered both individually, as well as in groups with individuals who have experienced joint traumas.

Life Story Work is a therapeutic approach, often used with children and young people, to help them understand and make sense of their personal history, experiences, and identity. It's particularly valuable for those who have faced significant disruptions in their lives, such as being in foster care, adopted, or having lived through traumatic events.

The process involves creating a physical "life story" book or similar resource that incorporates photos, drawings, letters, memories, and key milestones. It provides an opportunity for the individual to explore their past with the guidance of a trusted adult or therapist, in a way that fosters self-awareness and emotional healing.

This approach isn't just about documenting facts—it's about creating a narrative that helps the person see their journey in a way that makes sense to them and builds a stronger sense of self-esteem.

Although parenting can be incredibly rewarding, it can also be extremely stressful.  Parent therapy supports parents to reflect on challenges that may be facing their children and develop effective strategies to address these.  Aimed at addressing behavioral and emotional difficulties, as well as family dynamic issues, therapy supports parents to strengthen emotional bonds and communication.  Parenting support also enables parents to reflect on their own experiences of being cared for as a child, and how this may be influencing how they parent their own children.

Parenting support can also support parents and carers who are separated or divorced; helping them consider the potential impacts, both good and difficult, of co-parenting, and to work together for the well-being of children. 

Trauma-informed parenting enables parents and carers of children who have experienced trauma and / or significant life adversity to notice how this may be impacting on how they parent their children (both positively and negatively), and to empower them to respond to their children’s needs in a sensitive and responsive manner.

Where it is helpful, TRS draws on a range of evidence based parenting approaches including Webster Stratton Incredible Years, Triple P and Strengthening Families, Strengthening Communities.