CTC Evidence-Based Trauma Therapies 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which component of Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT) directly addresses distorted beliefs the child holds about the traumatic event?
- Psychoeducation
- Cognitive coping and processing
- Trauma narrative development (Correct answer)
- Enhancing safety skills
Correct answer: Trauma narrative development
The trauma narrative component has children recount and process the traumatic event, allowing the therapist to identify and correct cognitive distortions embedded in the narrative.
Question 2: In EMDR therapy, what is the primary purpose of the 'installation' phase?
- To identify the negative cognition associated with the trauma
- To strengthen the positive cognition replacing the negative belief (Correct answer)
- To assess the SUDS level before reprocessing
- To conduct bilateral stimulation on the traumatic memory
Correct answer: To strengthen the positive cognition replacing the negative belief
The installation phase focuses on strengthening and linking the positive cognition to the target memory after desensitization has reduced distress.
Question 3: Prolonged Exposure (PE) therapy for trauma includes which two primary active components?
- EMDR and cognitive restructuring
- In vivo and imaginal exposure (Correct answer)
- Relaxation training and psychoeducation
- Narrative writing and imagery rescripting
Correct answer: In vivo and imaginal exposure
PE uses imaginal exposure (revisiting the memory in imagination) and in vivo exposure (approaching avoided real-world situations) as its core interventions.
Question 4: Child-Parent Psychotherapy (CPP) is primarily designed for which age group?
- School-age children 6–12 years
- Adolescents 13–17 years
- Children birth through age 5 (Correct answer)
- Toddlers and preschoolers 2–6 years only
Correct answer: Children birth through age 5
CPP targets children from birth through age 5 and their caregivers, focusing on the caregiving relationship as the vehicle for healing.
Question 5: A CTC is working with a 9-year-old who witnessed domestic violence. The child avoids playgrounds because they remind him of the event. This avoidance behavior is best addressed using which EBT technique?
- Attachment-Based Family Therapy
- In vivo exposure hierarchy (Correct answer)
- Somatic experiencing pendulation
- Narrative Exposure Therapy timeline
Correct answer: In vivo exposure hierarchy
In vivo exposure systematically confronts avoided real-world cues through a graduated hierarchy, reducing avoidance that maintains PTSD symptoms.
Question 6: Which of the following best describes the 'window of tolerance' concept used in trauma-informed therapy?
- The maximum number of trauma sessions a client can tolerate per week
- The optimal arousal zone between hyperarousal and hypoarousal for effective processing (Correct answer)
- A measure of how many trauma memories can be processed in one EMDR session
- The caregiver's capacity to hear trauma disclosures without becoming overwhelmed
Correct answer: The optimal arousal zone between hyperarousal and hypoarousal for effective processing
The window of tolerance describes the zone of optimal arousal where clients are neither flooded by emotion (hyperarousal) nor shut down (hypoarousal), enabling effective trauma processing.
Question 7: Structured Psychotherapy for Adolescents Responding to Chronic Stress (SPARCS) is specifically designed for adolescents who have experienced which type of trauma?
- Single-incident acute trauma such as a natural disaster
- Complex, chronic trauma and have co-occurring behavioral problems (Correct answer)
- Medical trauma resulting from serious illness
- Traumatic loss and complicated grief
Correct answer: Complex, chronic trauma and have co-occurring behavioral problems
SPARCS was developed for adolescents with histories of complex, chronic trauma who often present with significant behavioral and emotional difficulties.
CTC Evidence-Based Trauma Therapies 2
Which component of Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT) directly addresses distorted beliefs the child holds about the traumatic event?