Child/Family Therapy
Children’s Advocacy Services of Greater St. Louis (CASGSL) provides trauma-focused therapy to address various forms of trauma including child abuse, natural disasters, interpersonal and community violence, etc. Children and teens are the primary focus of treatment, and their caregivers are heavily involved in the therapeutic process to support their child in recovering from traumatic experiences. Specific areas of concern that CASGSL clinicians most commonly address include post-traumatic stress symptoms (i.e. flashbacks, nightmares), suicidality/self-injury, problematic and defiant behaviors, parent-child relationship issues and emotional regulation/coping skills. Therapy services are provided by licensed clinicians and provisionally licensed or advanced graduate-level students. Provisionally licensed staff and graduate students are supervised by licensed clinical professionals.
To initiate services at CASGSL, the child’s legal guardian contacts our intake department to complete a clinical intake. Caregivers will be asked to provide information about the child’s background, trauma history, previous and current symptomatology, as well as scheduling availability. After the intake session, children and adolescents are either scheduled for their first session with a clinician or may be placed on a waitlist. If placed on the waitlist, caregivers will receive monthly texts updating them of their status on the waitlist and biweekly offerings of CASGSL’s Community Corner, which is a program that provides support, education, and resources to children and families while on the waitlist. To inquire further about services and to schedule an intake session, please call 314-516-7330.
At the beginning of therapy, clients participate in a trauma-focused assessment with a CASGSL clinician. Typically, during the first one to four sessions the clinician gathers information and administers standardized assessment measures. After the initial assessment, clinicians meet with the child and caregiver(s) to provide diagnostic feedback and treatment recommendations. Should it be determined that the child could benefit from trauma-focused therapy, the clinician will immediately begin developing a treatment plan to initiate therapy services. CASGSL clinicians also demonstrate high levels of empathy and understanding throughout the process of assessment and treatment. CASGSL clinicians also provide referrals for other agencies as deemed appropriate.
As a member of the National Childhood Traumatic Stress Network, Children's Advocacy Services staff are trained to provide the most highly recommended evidenced-based treatments in the field of child trauma therapy. These child/family treatments include the following:
TF-CBT is designed for children and adolescents between the ages of 3-18. TF-CBT is designed to reduce the symptoms of trauma through: educating the child and parent about the effects of trauma, teaching skills for stress management, learning to work through difficult thoughts and feelings related to the trauma, and gradually working through memories of traumatic event(s). Sessions include individual time with the child, individual time with the caregiver, and joint sessions, where child and caregiver meet together with the therapist.
PCIT is a structured treatment approach aimed at helping children, ages 2 ½ -7, and their caregivers recover from trauma by improving their relationships and bonds. Therapists coach caregivers in relationship-building activities with their child that encourage improved cooperation and behavior.
ITCT (Integrated Therapy for Complex Trauma) is for children and adolescents (6 to 18-years-old), who have a history of multiple traumas, which has resulted in emotional and behavioral difficulties. ITCT is a flexible intervention designed to address specific needs through assessment and intervention in multiple formats (e.g. individual, group, family). ITCT addresses both attachment and trauma related symptoms by improving skills in distress tolerance, emotion regulation, impulse control, stress management, self-esteem, and social skills. Additionally, ITCT promotes resiliency by including the child’s existing social networks.
CPP (Child Parent Psychotherapy) is a treatment for trauma-exposed children age 0-5 and their caregivers. The treatment addresses how the trauma has impacted the child-caregiver relationship and the child’s development. A primary goal of the treatment is to support and strengthen the child-caregiver relationship in a effort to restore and protect the child’s mental health.
CFTSI (Child & Family Traumatic Stress Intervention) is an early intervention and prevention treatment to reduce traumatic stress in children age 7 to 18 years. It is a brief therapy model (5 to 7 sessions) which works with both the child and caregiver together and seeks to increase communication about and provide skills to master the child’s traumatic stress reactions.
Group Therapy
Children’s Advocacy Services also facilitates group therapy programs that address problematic sexual behaviors in school-aged and adolescent children. At least one caregiver of each child is required to participate in the group therapy process to enhance the use of sexual safety skills at home. Caregivers also find group therapy to be a supportive space for them to express their thoughts and feelings with others who have similar experiences. CASGSL clinicians demonstrate high levels of empathy and understanding when supporting children and their caregivers through the aftermath of these stressful life events. Children and teens completing these group therapy programs also benefit from giving and receiving compassion from peers within their age group. Group participants also demonstrate heightened levels of insight into the negative impacts of problematic sexual behaviors on themselves and others by the end of the program. CASGSL is one of the only agencies in the St. Louis area to provide this specialized service and it has been shown to impact the lives of group participants in transformative ways.
Children’s Advocacy Services also provide school-based therapy groups for children and adolescents within the St. Louis metropolitan area who have reported trauma histories and symptoms. CASGSL clinicians engage each child referred to the program in an assessment that includes gathering background information and completing assessment measures to determine the appropriateness of group therapy. Each school-based group is trauma-focused and utilizes cognitive-behavioral techniques to support children in adopting skills that reduce their traumatic stress symptoms. At the end of the ten-week long program, each child is reassessed by a CASGSL clinician and may receive referrals for additional therapy services if needed.
CASGSL also provides a weekly therapy group for caregivers of children impacted by trauma. Caregivers are provided the opportunity to be in community with others who have similar experiences. CASGSL clinicians also provide education, techniques, and resources to enhance the use of trauma-informed parenting strategies. Caregivers also learn ways to decrease their stress levels to improve overall family functioning.
To learn more about specific group treatments and scheduling, please call CASGSL’s intake department at 314-516-7330.
This treatment program for children with problematic sexual behaviors (PSB) supports families with children (ages 7-12) who have demonstrated concerning sexual behaviors. Examples include children’s excessive masturbation, touching other children’s private parts, and exposing their private parts to others. During the weekly group sessions, children learn skills in the areas of affective expression, relaxation, impulse control, social skills, and empathy and apologizing. A key part of the program is helping children understand the consequences of their decisions. Caregivers attend a concurrent group where they receive education about sexual development, behavior management training, and general support. The PSB program, developed by faculty at the University of Oklahoma Child Study Center, is an evidence-based treatment utilizing a cognitive-behavioral approach. More information about sexual behavior problems in children and this effective intervention may be found on the NCSBY website.
This open-ended group treatment program is designed for adolescent males who have engaged in illegal sexual behavior. The curriculum, based on a cognitive-behavioral, psychoeducational approach, addresses issues such as taking responsibility for the behavior, cognitive restructuring, social skills, prevention of future illegal behavior, relationship skills, and victim awareness and empathy. A concurrent group for caregivers/parents is also offered. In addition to receiving support from one another and the therapists, the caregivers learn how to support the adolescents’ in their treatment, build stronger relationships with their children, and improve family functioning. For more information about this population and effective treatment for adolescents with illegal sexual behaviors see the NCSBY website.
The Cognitive Behavioral Intervention for Trauma in Schools (CBITS) program is an empirically-supported group and individual trauma-focused intervention based in schools. CBITS is proven to reduce symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and improve students’ school performance with diverse populations. CASGSL clinicians are currently implementing CBITS with students from 8 years old to 18 years old in St. Louis City Public Schools who have experienced a range of traumatic events including witnessing domestic or community violence, physical abuse, traumatic losses, and medical traumas. CBITS participants are individually assessed and screened to ensure the appropriateness of the model for each student. Selected participants take part in ten weekly sessions based on the Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy model. The students learn about common trauma symptoms, stress management techniques, cognitive restructuring, social problem solving, and participate in individual and group exposure sessions. CASGSL clinicians collaborate with the students’ teachers, working to improve the students’ functioning in the classroom through reduction of trauma symptoms.
This 12-week educational and support group is available to caregivers of children who have experienced trauma. Adapted from the National Child Traumatic Stress Network's (NCTSN) resource parent curriculum, TASK addresses the unique challenges faced by all caregivers (e.g. biological and step parents, foster parents, adoptive parents, and other adult family members) parenting a child following one or more traumatic events.
Participants will increase their knowledge about how trauma can affect children emotionally, behaviorally, and developmentally, and learn trauma-informed parenting skills to appropriately respond to the behavioral and emotional challenges of traumatized children. Each participant receives a participant handbook and engages in a combination of learning methods including lecture, group discussion, case vignettes, and exercises designed to assist caregivers in applying new concepts to their children. Topics include understanding trauma's effects on children, dealing with feelings and behavior, enhancing children's sense of safety, ways to support a child’s recovery, effective advocacy, and self-care.
TASK is recommended as a supplement to a child’s individual treatment and for caregivers wanting to better understand how a trauma has affected their child and how they can best support their child’s recovery. Foster parents can earn up to fifteen hours of in-service training hours through their participation in TASK.
