Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy for Victims of Abuse and Violence

Practice Context:
Trauma-Informed Care Settings:
- Domestic Violence Organizations
- Homeless Service Providers
- Community-Based Behavioral
Health Agencies
- Outpatient Clinics
- Psychiatric Hospitals
- Victim Services
- Criminal and Juvenile Justice
Settings
- Residential Treatment
Mental Health Concerns:
- Depression
- Anxiety
- Traumatic Stress
- PTSD
- Substance Abuse
- Eating Disorders
Basic Practice Principles:
- Thoughts, Feelings, Behaviors
- Present-Focused
- Time-Limited
- Problem Solving
- Skills Training
Process:
- Treatment Plan and Setting an
Agenda
- Establish Therapeutic Relationship
- Set Specific Goals
- Identifying automatic thoughts and
core beliefs (cognitions)
- Identifying coping strategies
(behaviors)
- Modify core beliefs and assumptions
with behavioral strategies
- Homework
- Monitoring

Techniques:
- Daily Thought Record: helps to
identify automatic thoughts from
triggering events and resulting
behaviors and emotions.
- Relaxation Strategies: involves
techniques such as muscle relaxation
and slow breathing.
- Stress Inoculation Training: brief
exposure to stress-inducing stimuli
(either real or imaginary) followed
by relaxation techniques.
- Problem Solving Training:
identifying the problem, devising a
plan, implementing solution.
- Activity Scheduling: planning
activities that are pleasurable,
provide socialization, and address a
specific need between therapy
sessions.
Other Trauma-Specific Forms of CBT:
Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral
Therapy (TF-CBT)
Combined Parent-Child Cognitive
Behavioral Therapy (CPC-CBT)
Cognitive Trauma Therapy for Battered
Women (CTT-BW)
Prolonged Exposure (PE)
Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT)
Additional Certification and Skills
Training:
- Beck Institute for Cognitive Behavior
Therapy: http://www.beckinstitute.org/cbttraining/
- SAMSHAs National Center for TraumaInformed Care:
http://www.samhsa.gov/nctic/trainingtechnical-assistance

Bibliography
Ahmed, N. Y., & Lawn, S. (2012). Does Starting With the Behavioural Component of Cognitive
Behavioural Therapy (CBT) Increase Patients Retention in Therapy? Behaviour Change,
29(04), 238257. doi:10.1017/bec.2012.23
The authors provide a brief background and definition of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
and provide a review of literature highlighting significant drop-out rates in the beginning stages
of therapy primarily due to lack of patient satisfaction and reported frustration with treatment.
The authors contend that use of behavioral interventions with or without cognitive therapy earlier
on in treatment can decrease drop-out rate by increasing client mood and functioning.
Beck, A. T. (2005). Anxiety disorders and phobias: a cognitive perspective ([15th anniversary
ed.], rev. pbk. ed.). Cambridge, MA: Basic Books.
In this book, the author explores and discusses cognitive processes and the connections
between cognition and behavioral and affective responses. The author also provides specific
cognitive techniques and interventions specifically addressing anxiety disorders and phobias.
Brewin, C. R. (1996). Theoretical Foundations of Cognitive-Behavior Therapy for Anxiety and
Depression. Annual Review of Psychology, 47(1), 3357.
doi:10.1146/annurev.psych.47.1.33
This book provides the theoretical framework and historical development of CognitiveBehavioral Therapy with a primary focus on treatment of anxiety and depressive disorders. The
author explores the transition from behavioral approaches to cognitive therapeutic approaches,
resistance to cognitive theory, lack of theoretical overlap between the two models, and proposals
for theoretical integration developed by Beck, Teasdale, Hollin, Kriss, Brewin, and Barber.
Finley, L. (2013). Encyclopedia of Domestic Violence and Abuse. Santa Barbara, CA, USA:
ABC-CLIO. Retrieved from
http://site.ebrary.com/lib/alltitles/docDetail.action?docID=10793501
This resource is a collection of articles exploring issues surrounding domestic violence
and abuse including health effects of domestic violence, defining the cycle of violence,
recommendations for therapy and counseling, and effects of domestic violence on client systems.
Other relevant issues explored include battered woman syndrome (BWS) and legislation such as
the Trafficking Victims Protection Act (TVPA) that contributed to an expansion of programs and
resources for victims.
Vonk, M. E., & Early, T. J. (2002). Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy. In A. R. Roberts & G. J.
Greene (Eds.), Social workers desk reference (pp. 242 247). Oxford; New York: Oxford
University Press.
This chapter defines the basic concepts and principles of CBT and briefly summarizes the
model. The authors also explore specific techniques teaching clients the ABC model, how to
identify cognitions, and replacing maladaptive cognitions.