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.

Summary

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.

Conditions

• Wellbeing
• Mental Health
• Psychological
• Stress
• Trauma Exposure

Interventions

OTHER

Cue-Centered Therapy (CCT)-Informed Single Session Intervention (CISS)

Cue-Centered Therapy (CCT)-Informed Single Session Intervention (CISS) Arm Description: Participants will receive a single 90-minute CISS session, a structured, therapist-led program based on Cue-Centered Therapy (CCT). The session combines psychoeducation about trauma cues, guided reflection on avoidance and stress reactions, and skills practice to strengthen coping and treatment readiness. Sessions are delivered individually by trained mental-health clinicians (psychologists, psychiatrists, nurses, or social workers) working in Hapai Ora clinics. All clinicians complete CISS training and fidelity supervision before implementation.Each youth completes baseline questionnaires before the session, a brief post-session survey, and follow-up assessments at 3 and 6 months. No control group or randomization is used in this pilot feasibility design.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• University of Auckland, New Zealand

  collaborator OTHER

• Health New Zealand

  collaborator UNKNOWN

• Stanford University

  lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

• Victor Carrion, MD · Stanford University

• Melody Kim, PHD (G4) · University of Aukland

Study Design

Allocation

NA

Purpose

SUPPORTIVE_CARE

Masking

NONE

Model

SINGLE_GROUP

Eligibility

Min Age

13 Years

Max Age

18 Years

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2026-06-01

Primary Completion

2028-05-31

Completion

2028-11-30