"The Mexican Association for Crisis Therapy has used TAT with large groups of children (approximately 1,652) after natural disasters in Mexico (floods, 1998-1999), Nicaragua (floods and landslides, 1999) Colombia (earthquake, 1999) and Venezuela (floods and landslide, 1999).

Additionally, the TAT protocol has been used as an adjunct to training groups of front line service personnel in Mexico, Nicaragua, Colombia and Venezuela (approximately 642).

When we apply TAT, most subjects reported post-traumatic stress symptomatology as measured by the Impact of Events Scale during assessment and SUDS (Subjective Units of Distress) of ten. Children and adults reported significant reductions in SUDS at the completion of the protocol.

TAT is our favorite technique to reduce distress, because it is easy to teach and apply. We call TAT for children "The magician's hat" and we teach it to them like part of a story. The story we teach is that they are an assistant to a magician and whenever they feel scared, they put on the magician's hat and then they feel better."

The members of our team use TAT to help themselves recover from stress. I also use TAT to avoid dissociation.