Prolonged Exposure Therapy for PTSD

Abstract

This therapist guide of prolonged exposure (PE) treatment is accompanied by the patient workbook, Reclaiming Your Life from a Traumatic Experience. The treatment and manuals are designed for use by a therapist who is familiar with cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and who has undergone an intensive training workshop for prolonged exposure by experts in this therapy. The therapist guide instructs therapists to implement this brief CBT program that targets individuals who are diagnosed with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or who manifest PTSD symptoms that cause distress and/or dysfunction following various types of trauma. The overall aim of the treatment is to help trauma survivors emotionally process their traumatic experiences to diminish or eliminate PTSD and other trauma-related symptoms. The term prolonged exposure (PE) reflects the fact that the treatment program emerged from the long tradition of exposure therapy for anxiety disorders in which patients are helped to confront safe but anxiety-evoking situations to overcome their unrealistic, excessive fear and anxiety. At the same time, PE has emerged from the adaption and extension of Emotional Processing Theory (EPT) to PTSD, which emphasizes the central role of successfully processing the traumatic memory in the amelioration of PTSD symptoms. Throughout this guide, the authors highlight that emotional processing is the mechanism underlying successful reduction of PTSD symptoms.

Feasibility and Effectiveness of Dyadic Prolonged Exposure Intervention for Preventing Posttraumatic Grief in Young Children: A Case Report of Two Siblings

“…The DPE is a 15‐session protocol, developmentally adapted for toddlers (Rachamim et al., ), from the evidence‐based Prolonged Exposure (PE) protocol for PTSD in adults (Foa, Hembree, & Rothbaum, ) and adolescents (Foa, Chrestman, & Gilboa‐Schectman, ). In this modified protocol, joint child–parent sessions and parent training to be cotherapists are conducted successively.…”

Exploratory study of impact of cancer‐related posttraumatic stress symptoms on diabetes self‐management among cancer survivors

“…Common treatments for PTSD include trauma-focused approaches such as cognitive behavioral therapy and prolonged exposure therapy. 37,38 A non-trauma-focused approach, mindfulness-based stress reduction, has also been explored, and preliminary studies reveal promising results. 39,40 Stress management is a recommendation that should be discussed among cancer survivors with DM.…”

The Role of a Sense of Coherence In The Prevention of Compassion Fatigue

“…(Brewin et al, 2000;Koopman, Classen, & Spiegel, 1994;Ozer et al, 2008). PTSD is thought by some researchers to be the result of the failure to integrate these fragments (Foa, Hembree, & Rothbaum, 2007;Nanda, Gaydos, Hathorn, & Watkins, 2010).…”

“…It may be that part of the efficacy of the Mandala treatment and other forms of art therapy relate to artistic expression facilitating a cognitive and emotional integration of the traumatic experience. Other treatments, such as prolonged exposure therapy (Foa et al, 2007;Rauch et al, 2004) are based on the concept of integrating the cognitions and emotions of the traumatic experience.…”

“…First, the fear response is activated through the imaginal and in vivo exposure and then corrective information is incorporated in to the fear structure to alter the inappropriate and maladaptive associations. One goal of exposure therapy is to form a new cognitive structure that contains these more realistic associations among the elements of the trauma, such that safe stimuli are no longer viewed as dangerous (Foa et al, 2007;Rauch et al, 2004).…”