Psychotherapeutic Debriefing of Children and Adolescents After Exposure to Violence in Home or Community: Integrating Narrative Techniques
The integration of several techniques drawn from the field of child and adolescent psychotherapy offers a model for the debriefing of children or adolescents exposed to violence in their home or community. Drawing on cognitive behavioral techniques, family therapy, and narrative work, this article offers a model of intervention. It focuses on framing the violent event to accentuate mastery and help symptomatic children regain a sense of comfort and control. It asks their families to manage the children's emotional and behavioral responses in ways that facilitate both the child and the family's recovery and prompts appropriate parent and child connections.