Conjoint Sessions — the “C” in PRACTICE
What is conjoint sessions in TF-CBT?
Conjoint sessions bring child and caregiver together with the therapist. Often the child shares part of their trauma narrative, and the family practices open, supportive communication. These joint meetings strengthen the caregiving relationship and help caregivers respond in ways that reinforce their child's recovery.
What this component is working toward
| Objective | How it works | Primary audience |
|---|---|---|
| Strengthen caregiver-child communication | Joint, therapist-facilitated sessions | Child & caregiver |
| Share the trauma narrative safely | Prepared, supported disclosure to the caregiver | Child |
| Reinforce gains at home | Coaching the caregiver's responses | Caregiver |
Bring conjoint sessions to life
Original Skills for Children resources, created by an MSW to bring each TF-CBT skill to life and built on the model’s principles. These are not the official TF-CBT model and don’t replace clinical care — they’re current, practical tools to use alongside it.
♪ Song — “Say It With Me”
A child-friendly song from When Feelings Get Loud written for this component.
View access options ↗Core model resources
Published by TF-CBT’s developers — tfcbt.org and TF-CBTWeb (MUSC).
The developers publish the model’s core training and materials for every component together. See the From the model developers section on the TF-CBT hub — including TF-CBTWeb training and the official At-A-Glance overview.
Resources for conjoint sessions
Free materials from trusted national libraries and trauma centers (NCTSN, UW Harborview, NCA Engage). These organizations are independent of TF-CBT’s developers.
Caregivers are part of TF-CBT from the start. In conjoint sessions you and your child meet together with the therapist to share, communicate, and practice supporting each other.
About conjoint sessions
This page is an evidence-informed educational resource, not clinical advice or a substitute for treatment by a trained TF-CBT therapist. TF-CBT was developed by Cohen, Mannarino, and Deblinger. Resources are linked to their original publishers; Skills for Children does not host proprietary clinical materials. Resources curated by Joshua Fisherkeller, MSW.