Therapy

Child abuse can cause children and families to lose trust in themselves and in the world around them. Support from a mental health professional can help children and families heal from trauma and move beyond the abuse.

The Children's Alliance Center for Palo Pinto County offers individual services free of charge to confirmed victims of child abuse and their non-offending family members.

Our clinical counseling staff works closely with clients to determine an individualized treatment program for each child utilizing Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT).

Following a traumatic event, it is not uncommon for a child to experience:

Nightmares
Flashbacks
Sadness
Anxiety
Anger
Poor Grades
Fearfulness
Drug and/or Alcohol Use
Self-harm

While these can be normal reactions to abuse, it is important for children to learn healthy coping mechanisms to decrease these symptoms. Even if a child does not exhibit any symptoms, it can be extremely beneficial for the child to speak with a licensed, trained professional to process the event. This helps to ensure that the child understands their feelings and feels safe expressing them. With the support of non-offending family members and effective treatment, a child can recover without long-term negative effects.