Child-parent psychotherapy (CPP) is an intervention aimed at young children from birth to age 5 who have faced at least one traumatic event, such as maltreatment, the sudden or traumatic death of a loved one, a serious accident, sexual abuse, or exposure to domestic violence. These experiences can lead to behavioral, attachment, and mental health issues, including post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). According to the Attachment & Trauma Network, the primary goal of CPP is to reinforce and enhance the relationship between a child and their parent or caregiver. This relationship serves as a foundation for restoring the child’s sense of safety, attachment, and appropriate affect while also improving their cognitive, behavioral, and social functioning.
The structure of CPP sessions varies based on the type of trauma and the child’s age or developmental stage. For instance, with infants, the child is present, but the focus is on helping the parent understand how their experiences and the child’s experiences affect the child’s development and functioning. With older children, including toddlers, the child actively participates in the treatment, which often involves play to facilitate communication between the child and the parent. Suppose the parent has a history of trauma that impacts their response to the child. In that case, the therapist (who may be a master’s- or doctoral-level psychologist, a master’s-level social worker or counselor, or a supervised trainee) works with the parent to understand how their past affects their interactions with the child and helps them develop new, developmentally appropriate ways of interacting. In studies reviewed, mother-child pairs participated in weekly sessions for about a year, using a CPP treatment manual like “Don’t Hit My Mommy!”.
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