Strategy

Child Parent Psychotherapy (CPP)

What is it?

Child Parent Psychotherapy (CPP) is an intervention program for trauma-exposed children from birth through age five. The purpose of the program is to address the challenges that children experience due to the traumatic event they experienced by strengthening the parent-child relationship and healing the child’s mental health. CPP teaches parents how to create a safe environment for their children, respond appropriately to children when they’re upset, and establish reciprocity in relationships.  The program is conducted by a clinical therapist through weekly hour-long sessions that include the child and parent. 

What is the evidence base?

Children that receive CPP show improvements in mood, secure attachment, problem behaviors, learning, cognitive functioning, and trauma symptoms. Parents that participate show improvements in mood, parenting stress, trauma symptoms, and partner relationships. 

• Toth et al_2002_The Relative Efficacy of Two Interventions in Altering Maltreated Preschool Children’s Representational Models: Implications for Attachment Theory
• Lieberman, Van Horn and Ghosh Ippen_2005_Toward Evidence-Based Treatment: Child Parent Psychotherapy with Preschoolers Exposed to Marital Violence