Trauma-Informed Therapy & Training

Welcome — I’m so glad you’re here. Healing from trauma takes courage. I help children and families find safety, hope, and lasting resilience through compassionate, evidence-based care.

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Meghan Backofen with facility dog Frasier at River Bridge

Welcome

Thank you for visiting. I provide compassionate, evidence-based therapy for children, adolescents, and families who have experienced trauma. Whether you’re seeking therapy or professional training, I’m here to support your path toward healing and empowerment.

My approach

With more than twenty years of experience, I create safe, supportive environments where healing can occur, grounded in research-supported practices and practical tools for daily life.

About Meghan Hurley Backofen, LCSW

Meghan Hurley Backofen, LCSW, has been the Core Sexual Abuse Treatment Provider for Garfield County Department of Human Services since 2004. For over twenty years, she has specialized in providing evidence-based assessments and treatment to child trauma survivors and their families.

She is the mental health coordinator at River Bridge Regional Center, a non-profit child advocacy center serving Garfield, Eagle, Pitkin, and Rio Blanco Counties in Colorado. This experience shaped her expertise in child sexual abuse trauma and supporting resistant or non-supportive family members.

Professional credentials & training

Meghan is a Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy provider as well as a TF-CBT trained Consultant and Supervisor. She trained with Drs. Tony Mannarino, Judy Cohen, and Esther Deblinger in TF-CBT’s Train-the-Consultant program and completed the Train-the-Supervisor program. She also practices EMDR therapy.

She is a facilitator for the American Psychological Association’s Effective Providers Program and a trainer with the Office for Victims of Crime Training and Technical Assistance Center (OVC TTAC), having trained hundreds of providers, child welfare workers, and community agencies.

Teaching & education

Since 2014, Meghan has been an adjunct professor with the University of Denver, teaching Trauma-Informed Assessment and Intervention, Clinical Social Work Skills, Trauma and Recovery, and Human Behavior in the Social Environment for MSW students.

Author & content creator

Meghan created 10 Tips For Sexual Abuse Prevention (2012), adapted into a widely accessed podcast. In 2019, she published Who’s the Boss of this Body, available in English and Spanish.

Meet Frasier — Facility Dog

Frasier, the facility dog at River Bridge Regional Center

Frasier, trained through Canine Companions, has supported more than 600 children at River Bridge since 2015.

Professional Trainings

Workshop led by a female instructor in a welcoming classroom

Practical, trauma-informed workshops

Meghan offers comprehensive training for mental health professionals, educators, parents, and organizations.

Training	Description	Audience	Duration	Cost
TF-CBT	Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy	Mental Health Clinicians	16 hours (2 days)	$300/person (max 20)
10 Tips for Sexual Abuse Prevention	Myths, language, and tools for parent–child conversations.	Parents/Caregivers	2 hours	$500 (unlimited)
Consent and the Continuum of Decency	Values, consent, and victim-blaming scenarios (EN/ES).	High School Students	1 hour	$100 (unlimited)
Book Reading: “Who’s the Boss of this Body”	Live reading in English or Spanish.	Elementary Children	30 min	$50 (unlimited)
Adverse Childhood Experiences	Understanding ACEs and supportive responses.	Middle School Students	1 hour	$250 (unlimited)
Sibling Sexual Abuse	Prevalence, risk, treatment, safety planning.	Caregivers/Providers	1.5 hours	$250 (unlimited)
Finding Resilience in Secondary Trauma	Vicarious trauma, STS, compassion fatigue, burnout.	Providers	2 hours	$250 (unlimited)
Roots of Non-Support	Supporting non-offending caregivers after disclosure.	Caregivers/Providers	2 hours	$250 (unlimited)
Trauma-Informed Court Practice	Reducing re-traumatization and preparing witnesses.	Mental Health Providers	2 hours	$250 (unlimited)
Helping Non-Offending Caregivers Heal	Guidance to foster resilience over trauma.	Providers	2 hours	$250 (unlimited)
Effective Providers	APA tools and EBP for childhood traumatic stress.	Child Welfare & Mental Health	4 hours	$1000
Myths vs Facts: From Perceptions to Response	Myths, grooming, secrecy, disclosure.	Providers & Community	2 hours	$250 (unlimited)
Trauma-Informed Practices	ACEs prevalence and the “trauma lenses”.	Providers	1.5 hours	$250 (unlimited)
Resilience in Schools and Educators (RISE)	CU Boulder trauma-responsive program for educator wellbeing.	School Staff	Varies	See RISE website

Custom training

All trainings can be customized to your organization’s needs. Consultation services are also available.

Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

Therapist working with a child in a calm space

Evidence-based care for children & families

TF-CBT is an evidence-based treatment designed to help children, adolescents, and their families heal from traumatic experiences. It’s effective across diverse populations and trauma types.

The PRACTICE components

Psychoeducation & parenting skills, Relaxation, Affect regulation, Cognitive coping, Trauma narrative, In-vivo mastery, Conjoint sessions, and Enhancing safety.

Psychoeducation and Parenting Skills

Children and caregivers learn about trauma responses and effective strategies for support, reducing shame and building understanding.

Relaxation Techniques

Focused breathing, progressive muscle relaxation, mindfulness, and calming strategies help manage anxiety and tension.

Affect Expression and Regulation

Creative activities and exercises build healthy emotional expression and self-regulation skills.

Cognitive Coping and Processing

Identify and challenge unhelpful thoughts related to trauma and build more balanced thinking patterns.

Trauma Narrative and Processing

With support, children gradually create a narrative of their experience to process memories and reduce emotional intensity.

In-Vivo Mastery of Trauma Reminders

Step-by-step exposure reduces avoidance and rebuilds confidence in everyday situations.

Conjoint Child-Parent Sessions

Joint sessions strengthen communication and relationships while practicing skills together.

Enhancing Safety and Future Development

Safety planning, boundaries, and skills for future challenges lay a foundation for continued growth.

Who benefits from TF-CBT?

Children and adolescents ages 3–18 affected by sexual/physical abuse, domestic violence, traumatic loss, complex trauma, community violence, disasters, or medical trauma. Research shows significant reductions in PTSD, depression, anxiety, and behavioral problems, typically within 12–16 sessions.