ABSTRACT
The experience of trauma has been likened to the surface of a lake after being struck by a stone: the impact of single trauma can ripple throughout many individuals’ lives. Indeed, theoreticians and researchers have increasingly noted that childhood trauma is fundamentally a family-level event, both in terms of impact and the prospects for recovery (Catherall 2004; Figley 1989). While a growing body of empirical literature has demonstrated the efficacy of family-based interventions for a range of child mental health problems in multiple contexts (Diamond and Josephson 2005), efficacious models for family-based interventions for children or families affected by psychological trauma have yet to be established (Lester et al. 2003). This represents a significant gap in theory and practice in the field of child traumatic stress.
