Trauma Systems Therapy (TST) is a model that addresses the primary reason that care is typically sought for a traumatized child: The child expresses episodes of uncontrolled emotion (e.g. anxiety, sadness, rage, dissociations, flashbacks)  and/or behavior (e.g. aggression, self-destruction, running away, substance abuse) considered problematic by the child or someone else. TST providers are trained to assess these episodes so the conditions controlling their expression can  be understood. Such episodes are frequently evoked when the child is exposed to an (often unnoticed) stimulus evoking traumatic memory. These episodes are called Survival States (SSs) and TST clinical problems are defined through  observed patterns of SS expression evoked by particular threat stimuli (i.e., Survival State Problems/SSPs). Knowledge of SSPs creates focused, effective treatment to prevent SS expression by 1. Helping caregivers reduce a child’s  exposure to the stimulus, and 2. Helping the child better tolerate such exposure if/when it occurs. TST is implemented within three successive phases by multidisciplinary teams. Updated 2024.