Relaxation — the “R” in PRACTICE
What is relaxation in TF-CBT?
Relaxation gives children practical, body-based ways to calm a stress response — focused breathing, progressive muscle relaxation, and grounding. Practiced in session and at home, these skills help a child lower physical tension on their own, making it possible to face difficult feelings and memories later in treatment.
What this component is working toward
| Objective | How it works | Primary audience |
|---|---|---|
| Lower physiological arousal | Diaphragmatic breathing, progressive muscle relaxation, grounding | Child |
| Create portable calming tools | Rehearsal in session plus home practice | Child & caregiver |
| Prepare for trauma processing | Building self-regulation before exposure work | Clinician |
Bring relaxation 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 — “Breathe Like Waves”
A child-friendly song from When Feelings Get Loud written for this component.
View access options ↗📖 Book chapter — Rex the Rabbit
This component’s chapter in A Journey of Brave Friends, the Resilient Forest storybook.
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 relaxation
Free materials from trusted national libraries and trauma centers (NCTSN, UW Harborview, NCA Engage). These organizations are independent of TF-CBT’s developers.
When big feelings show up in the body, relaxation skills give your child something to do about it. A few minutes of practice at calm times makes the skills easier to reach for during a hard moment.
About relaxation
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.