Children and War Foundation is pleased to share the 2026 revised edition of the Teaching Recovery Techniques (TRT) manual in English, now available to download from our website.
“This revision brings together what we have learned from many years of using TRT with children and families around the world, as well as research and global guidelines. The review process was extensive and inclusive, as many stakeholders from around the world provided input and suggestions. We hope the updated manual will make it easier for organisations and helpers to offer children good, accessible support when they need it most.”
TRT is an evidence-based psychological group intervention for children and young people aged 8 to 18 who have been affected by war, disaster and other traumatic events. It was first developed by Children and War Foundation in the late 1990s, drawing on years of work with child survivors of war and disaster, their teachers and carers, across many cultures and faiths. Based on principles from cognitive behavioural therapy, TRT teaches children practical skills to cope with stress reactions. It is designed to be delivered by trained and supervised non-specialists, such as teachers, health workers, youth workers and community workers. This makes it especially relevant in settings where mental health specialists are scarce.
The intervention consists of six group sessions for children and two sessions for parents and caregivers. TRT has been used in many contexts, including Palestine, Ukraine, Lebanon, Brazil, and with refugee children in Norway and Sweden. Research across these settings has shown it to be safe, acceptable and effective. The revised version of the manual is simplified in some respects compared to the old version, but is also expanded and more detailed in others, for example when it comes to involving parents. There is also more information on alignment with international guidelines for MHPSS and on training trainers.
The 2026 revision was built on an extensive literature review and information gathering process and written by a team of researchers and practitioners. The team was from the University of Oslo, the University of Bergen, the Norwegian Institute of Public Health, the Norwegian Directorate for Children, Youth and Family Affairs, King’s College London and the University of Cambridge, with additional contributions from Children and War UK, NKVTS and the Catholic University of Eichstätt-Ingolstadt.
Children and War Foundation strongly recommends that anyone planning to use TRT receives training first, with ongoing supervision and support, and that TRT is used as part of an integrated approach to mental health and psychosocial support, not as a stand-alone trauma treatment.
We are grateful to everyone who reviewed earlier drafts and shared feedback.
Download the manual: https://www.childrenandwar.org/trt-manual
