Rape and Sexual Abuse Support Centre Child & Adolescent Therapy Service

RASASC provides therapy for children aged 5 and over, which also includes therapeutic work with their parents or caregivers.  For older adolescents who do not wish for their parent or carer to be involved in sessions, we are able to adapt the model to meet their needs while continuing to work within a safeguarding framework – liaising with families and professionals, as necessary.

We accept referrals from any commissioned area, so long as we have consent and there is a clear commitment to attending regular sessions.  Sessions are held either in RASASC premises, or outreach locations such as Children’s Centres.

The model we use is Trauma Focused CBT, and it is just as its name suggests:

• It is trauma focused – it helps people get over traumas.

• It is used with children and adolescents.

• It is based on CBT (stands for Cognitive Behavioural Therapy; it is a leading talking therapy that examines how what we think and do affects how we feel.).

• Treatment sessions include both children and parents, often in parallel or joint sessions with the therapist.

 

The goal of TF-CBT is to provide psychoeducation to both the child and the caregivers and help them to identify and cope with emotions, thoughts, and behaviours. Research has shown TF-CBT to be effective in treating childhood Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and with children who have experienced traumatic events, it is recommended within NICE guidance for the treatment of trauma.

The therapist will cover any or all of the following, working in parallel with children & parents/carers or sometimes just with the child:

• Information about Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and its effects.

• Discussion of refinements to Parenting skills, because normal good parenting skills sometimes need refining to help a child with PTSD.

• Looking with the parent at how to enhance the future development for the child.

• Relaxation skills appropriate for children.

• Skills that help the child control their emotions (sometimes called affect modulation skills or distress tolerance skills).

• Other mental skills, for instance for addressing unhelpful thoughts.

• Help to produce a reasonable and helpful account of what happened in the traumatic event, and in making sense of it.

• Learning to get used to situations that remind the child of the trauma.

Having said that, Trauma Focused CBT is flexible, so it would be wrong for us to be too rigid about exactly what might be covered. The guideline is: Whatever looks likely to be most helpful. Even so, the therapist may well eventually encourage straightforward discussion of the child’s traumatic experiences, but overall will be using any or all of the above components to build the most helpful result for the child and their family.  Each child’s wellbeing is central to our work – if at any point we feel that we are not the right service to meet their needs, or that additional support would be helpful, we may make a referral to Child & Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS).

Who to contact

Telephone
01925 221546 / 0330 363 0063
Website
Rape support website

Where to go

Name
RASASC (Cheshire and Merseyside)

Other details

Availability

Local/National Service?
Local