ABSTRACT
Traumatic bereavement (TB) typically refers to a condition in which grief and trauma issues are present simultaneously, TB happens when people lose a loved one to sudden and catastrophic death. Symptoms of intrusive posttraumatic reminders and avoidance interfere with the normal process of bereavement, preventing resolution of both the trauma and grief. The treatment model being presented, trauma-focused cognitive-behavioral therapy for children and their parents, is a manualized treatment approach that has been developed from years of empirically based work with trauma victims. Posttraumatic reactions, including post-traumatic stress disorder and acute stress disorder, are characterized by symptoms of increased arousal, avoidance of thoughts, feelings, and/or other external stimuli in order to minimize distressing memories, and reexperiencing phenomena. Traumatic events are outside the realm of ordinary experience and therefore, are typically incompatible with existing cognitive constructs. The cognitive immaturity of children may complicate recovery from traumatic loss.
