Therapeutic Service

Counseling/Intervention services

Goal

Children’s Advocacy Center of Van Zandt County believes counseling is the key to the healing process for every child of abuse and trauma. The goal of the Children’s Therapy Program is to provide and/or coordinate therapeutic counseling/intervention services to both child abuse victims and non-offending caregivers/family members at no charge.

Services

Client intake, crisis intervention, and assessment of needs as indicated
A continuum of care to ensure child abuse victims access services including therapeutic intervention using a Trauma Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Model
Therapeutic and/or support groups
Comprehensive therapeutic services for caregivers and families of child victims
Parenting classes for non-offending family members

Rationale

Trauma Protection

Without effective therapeutic intervention, many traumatized children will suffer ongoing or long-term adverse social, emotional, and developmental outcomes that may impact them throughout their lifetimes. Today we have evidenced-based treatments and other practices with strong empirical support that will both reduce the impacts of trauma and the risk of future abuse.

Family Counceling

Non-offending caregivers/family members are often the key to the child’s recovery and ongoing protection. Their mental health is often an important factor in their capacity to support the child. Therefore, non-offending caregivers/family members may benefit from counseling and support to address the emotional impact of the abuse allegations, reduce or eliminate the risk of future abuse, and address issues which the allegation may trigger.

Parent Support

Mental health treatment for non-offending parents or guardians, many of whom have victimization histories themselves, may focus on support and coping strategies for themselves and their child, information about sexual abuse, dealing with issues of self-blame and grief, family dynamics, parenting training and education and their own abuse and trauma histories.

Sibling Support

Non-offending siblings and other children may also benefit from opportunities to discuss their own reactions and experiences and to address family issues within a confidential therapeutic relationship.

Staff