Alternatives for Families: A Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (AF-CBT)

Alternatives for Families: a Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (AF-CBT) is a trauma-informed evidence-based treatment (EBT) designed to improve relationships between children and caregivers.

AF-CBT addresses individual and family problems relating to:

Family conflicts
Behavior problems, including physical aggression
Anger and verbal aggression, including emotional abuse
Harsh physical discipline, physical aggression, or child physical abuse
Child trauma-related symptoms secondary to any of the above

An individual caregiver, a child/adolescent, and/or a family may exhibit these patterns. For that reason, AF-CBT targets the caregiver, child/adolescent, and the larger family context.

What is AF-CBT?

Alternatives for Families: a Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (AF–CBT) is a comprehensive therapeutic approach designed to reduce or prevent the effects of child physical abuse, exposure to child or family aggression, and hostile family environments. It addresses many known risk factors for physical abuse and violence and helps families recover from the effects of exposure to verbal or physical aggression.

Skills Parents and Children Can Learn

AF–CBT teaches parents and children intrapersonal and interpersonal skills to enhance self-control, promote positive family relations, and reduce violent behavior.

These skills include

Using positive coping and self-control skills
Managing angry outbursts
Child social skills
Effective and safe discipline strategies
Healthy family problem solving
Healthy family communication skills

Using their new skills, child behavior and well-being improve, family members get along better, and families maintain a safer and more secure home environment.

Who Can Benefit From AF-CBT?

AF–CBT is designed to be effective for a broad range of families engaged in verbal and/or physical aggression, whether the caregiver is angry, the child has behavior problems, or the family is volatile or "at-risk."

A family with any of the following is likely to benefit from AF-CBT:

A family or caregiver and child who experience frequent conflicts, arguments, angry feelings, or explosiveness
A caregiver who uses or has used harsh physical force or discipline or worries about doing something that could injure/hurt a child or has a history of physical or emotional abuse involving one of their children
A child (5-17 years old) who exhibits challenging behaviors, such as not listening, fighting, hard to manage, or who shows trauma symptoms (e, g., posttraumatic stress) related to the first or second points above
Many eligible families who receive AF-CBT also experience other challenges, such as living in different residences, domestic disputes, substance use, incarceration, and/or prior traumatic experiences.

AF-CBT Foundations

AF-CBT draws elements from several conceptual and treatment models, including cognitive therapy, behavioral and learning theory, family therapy, developmental victimology, and the psychology of aggression.