Trust-Based Relational Intervention (TBRI): Empowering Principles for the Adolescent Population
Helping Teens Overcome Behavioral Health, Mental Health, and Dual Diagnosis Challenges Through
Trust-Based Relational Intervention (TBRI Therapy)
Trauma-Informed Intervention for Teens
Teenagers are complex and vulnerable beings. They are often not as equipped as most adults to process and cope with the challenges and traumas they face. This often results in behavioral problems and relational difficulties that may be supported through TBRI counseling.
As their caregivers, guardians, parents, teachers, therapists, and leaders, we must employ proactive strategies to address trauma responses and disarm fear-based behaviors.
Trauma-informed intervention is a holistic approach that gives you insight into the experiences of your teen and provides the tools for healing and the restoration of healthy relationships in their lives. It’s especially helpful when working with foster children, adopted children, adoptive parents, and foster parents who require additional support to develop a healthy, trusting relationship.
What Is Trust-Based Relational Intervention (TBRI)?
Trust-Based Relational Intervention (TBRI) is a therapeutic model developed by Dr. Karyn Purvis of the Karyn Purvis Institute of Child Development. This model equips guardians and caregivers to meet the complex needs of vulnerable children and teens, especially children from hard places. TBRI is often employed with teens from foster care, who were adopted, at-risk, or who have a history of sexual abuse or physical abuse.
These adolescents need positive influences in their life who are prepared to help and are committed to their healing over a long period of time. Trust-Based Relational Intervention is guided by a set of 3 principles: Connecting Principles, Empowering Principles, and Correcting Principles.
These 3 core principles have been employed everywhere in schools, homes, orphanages, residential adolescent treatment centers, and outpatient mental health treatment facilities like BasePoint Academy. The purpose is to foster healthy adolescent development and nurture an ideal response while caring for your child’s physical needs, complex needs, attachment needs, and sensory needs.
What Are the 3 Core Principles of TBRI?
Trust-Based Relational Intervention (TBRI) uses 3 core principles to help caregivers support teens experiencing trauma, attachment difficulties, and behavioral challenges. Together, these principles focus on building trusting relationships, supporting physical and emotional regulation, and encouraging positive behavioral development.
Connecting Principles
The Connecting Principles of Trust-Based Relational Intervention (TBRI) are attachment-based trauma-informed principles. It focuses on establishing a warm and safe connection, building trust, and building social competence. Within TBRI’s Connecting Principles, there are 2 primary strategies, mindfulness strategies and playful engagement strategies. Using these Connecting Principles, caregivers can address teen attachment needs and nurture positive child development and communication.
The mindfulness strategies and engagement strategies taught within trust-based relational intervention help caregivers connect with teens nonverbally through behavior matching. Caregivers also develop an increased awareness of their interactions and learn practical ways to build a more trusting relationship.
Empowering Principles
The Empowering Principles of Trust-Based Relational Intervention (TBRI) focus on strengthening a teen’s self-regulation. Within these principles, there are 2 primary proactive strategies: physiological and ecological strategies. When your teen’s safety, environmental, and physical needs are met, they’re more prepared to face whatever comes. They learn who safe adults are, who practically cares for them, and who they can trust.
Caregivers can teach teens to achieve self-regulation through behavior modeling, co-regulation, physical activities, or nurturing behaviors. These practices of Empowering Principles foster internal balance and emotional regulation.
Correcting Principles
The Correcting Principles of Trust-Based Relational Intervention (TBRI) focus on shaping the teen’s behaviors and beliefs, effectively helping them feel safe and protected, and allowing caregivers to disarm fear-based behaviors. Within TBRI’s Correcting Principles, there are 2 primary strategies: proactive strategies and responsive strategies.
Proactive refers to foundational examples and teachings that inspire positive behaviors, whereas responsive strategies are what should be used to address undesirable behaviors or fear-based behaviors. While used in different situations, both strategies are a form of trauma-informed intervention; one to equip and prepare the child for a potential future event and the other to soothe presenting behaviors and address complex developmental trauma.
BasePoint Academy’s Trust-Based Relational Intervention Techniques
Building trust takes intentional action and behavior matching. It’s a new skill set of practical tools that many caregivers are not naturally equipped with. Whether your teen suffers from complex developmental trauma or attachment-based trauma or is navigating complex life transitions, informed strategies facilitate the best results.
It could be as simple as making consistent eye contact and maintaining daily rituals and calm times. It could be participating in playful interactions and maintaining total voice control. It could be matching their behaviors and connecting with them over the same activity. It’s practicing gentle and healthy touch that communicates this is a safe adult.
These are just a few examples of evidence-based Trust-Based Relational Intervention (TBRI) techniques. Our goal is to help you, as a parent, adoptive family, or caregiver, meet the needs of the teen and ensure they feel safe. If you’ve been searching for TBRI therapy near you, our team is here to guide you with proven strategies.
To learn more, contact BasePoint Academy today.