Many Trauma-affected Youth Face Long Waits for Therapy, Worsening Stress, and Avoidance. CISS, a 90-minute Session Based on Stanford's Cue-Centered Therapy, Offers Coping Tools and Psychoeducation During This Gap. This Pilot Tests CISS's Feasibility, Acceptability, and Impact on 30-40 Adolescents.

Starting soon · Not applicable

Conditions studied: Wellbeing, Mental Health, Psychological, Stress, Trauma Exposure

In brief

Many young people who have experienced traumatic events such as sexual assault, domestic violence, serious accidents, or natural disasters face long waits before they can begin full trauma-focused therapy. During this waiting period, symptoms such as avoidance, anxiety, and distress may worsen, and many youth lose motivation or confidence to start treatment. The Cue-Centered Therapy (CCT)-Informed Single Session Intervention (CISS) was designed to bridge this gap by offering a one-time, 90-minute session that teaches coping and self-understanding skills while youth are still on the waiting list. This study is a pilot feasibility trial conducted in partnership between Stanford University and the University of Auckland. The purpose of the study is to evaluate whether CISS is a practical, acceptable, and safe intervention for young people aged 13-18 who have been exposed to trauma and are currently waiting for or hesitant to begin full-length therapy within New Zealand Hapai Ora Clinics. Youth participants will meet once with a trained Hapai Ora clinician who will deliver the 90-minute CISS session. The session combines psychoeducation about trauma cues with skill-building strategies to improve coping, confidence, and readiness to engage in future treatment. Participants will complete short questionnaires before and after the session, and again at 3- and 6-month follow-ups. Measures will assess coping self-efficacy, treatment readiness, posttraumatic stress symptoms, and whether participants eventually begin full-length therapy. The study will recruit approximately 30-40 adolescents across Hapai Ora clinical sites in Auckland, New Zealand. All clinicians providing the intervention are qualified mental-health professionals trained in both CISS and child-safety protocols. Participation involves minimal risk-similar to discussing difficult topics in a supportive therapy session. Findings from this pilot study will help researchers understand whether CISS can be feasibly and safely delivered within public mental-health services, and whether it shows promise in helping young people build coping skills, reduce avoidance, and increase readiness to start therapy. The results will guide future larger-scale trials and inform the development of single-session, early-intervention approaches for trauma-exposed youth worldwide.

Key facts

Study ID: NCT07558005
Run by: Stanford University
People needed: 40
Starts: 2026-06-01
Expected to finish: 2028-11-30
Last updated by the study team: 2026-04-30

Who can join

Age: 13 and older, up to 18. Sex: any. Healthy volunteers: accepted.

You may qualify if…

Age: 13 to 18 years old (adolescents).
Trauma Exposure: History of chronic or single-event trauma (e.g., interpersonal violence, serious accidents, natural disaster) as documented in Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) intake records.
Service Status: Currently on a CAMHS waitlist for trauma-focused therapy, or self-referred but hesitant to begin multi-session treatment.
Capacity and Consent: Ability to provide informed assent (ages 13-15 with parental permission) or informed consent (ages 16-18).

You may not qualify if…

Current Trauma Treatment: Actively engaged in any form of trauma-focused psychotherapy (e.g., TF-CBT, EMDR, CCT) at the time of enrollment.
Severe Cognitive Impairment: Intellectual disability or cognitive impairment (e.g., IQ < 70) that precludes comprehension of psychoeducational material or completion of self-report questionnaires.
Acute Suicidality: Endorsement of imminent self-harm or suicide risk (e.g., PHQ-9 item 9 ≥ 2) during screening that necessitates immediate crisis management rather than study participation.

Full record on ClinicalTrials.gov

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