TBRI (Trust-based Relational Intervention)

What is TBRI?

Short video prepared by the Karyn Purvis Institute of Child Development to better understand this incredible method.

TBRI® is an attachment-based, trauma-informed intervention that is designed to meet the complex needs of vulnerable children or children from hard places.  TBRI® uses Empowering Principles to address physical needs, Connecting Principles for attachment needs, and Correcting Principles to disarm fear-based behaviors. While the intervention is based on years of attachment, sensory processing, and neuroscience research, the heartbeat of TBRI® is connection.

The program was founded and developed by The Karyn Purvis Institute of Child Development at Texas Christian University in Texas. The research and evidence-based program provides education, training, and outreach to improve the lives of children who have experienced abuse, neglect, and/or some type of trauma.  With the real-life application of these highly successful interventions,  it empowers parents, professionals, and students with trauma-informed strategies that improve outcomes for children and youth.

Who could potentially benefit from TBRI?

NEXT CLASS SCHEDULED for March 16.
TBRI Flyer Connecting principles 90719

TBRI® is designed for children from “hard places” such as abuse, neglect, and/or trauma. Because of their histories, it is often difficult for these children to trust the loving adults in their lives, which often results in perplexing behaviors.

  • Children from hard places
  • Individuals who have suffered neglect
  • Individuals who have suffered abuse
  • Individuals who have suffered trauma
  • Individuals who have suffered trauma in utero
  • Adopted Children
  • Foster Children

Who should utilize the TBRI strategies?

The Trust-based relational interventions are practical and can be used on a daily basis and in most cases in everyday settings and situations.

  • Caregivers
  • Teachers
  • Individuals who work with children
  • Socialworkers
  • Counselors
  • Case Managers
  • Adoptive Families
  • Foster Families

Sarah Marquez, TBRI Practitioner

Sarah Marquez, LPC, MFTI, TBRI Practitioner

Holding a Master’s degree in Clinical Psychology from the University of Colorado, Sarah is a Licensed Professional Counselor with specialized training in anxiety and mood disorders. She has completed advanced certification in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction, focusing on helping individuals regain emotional balance and build resilience through structured, evidence-based care.

Sarah’s work emphasizes practical tools for managing anxiety, panic symptoms, and chronic stress, as well as guiding clients through depressive episodes with supportive, solution-oriented methods. Her experience includes individual and group therapy, crisis response, and behavioral health programs within educational and community settings.

She has spent more than a decade helping clients identify underlying emotional patterns, develop coping strategies, and restore confidence in daily life. Sarah believes therapy should be collaborative, goal-driven, and grounded in compassion. Outside her practice, she enjoys writing, outdoor walks, and quiet evenings with her family and dog.