Anxiety Disorders, Panic Disorder, OCD & PTSD: Diagnosis, Biology & Treatment

Catalog description

This course will provide an overview of the most significant anxiety disorders. Special focus will be given to Panic Disorder, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). The first part of the class will be a review of the diagnosis and sequelae of each disorder as well as the cognitive and biological drivers related to each diagnostics category. The psycho-physiology portion of the course will emphasize the use of this information to enhance client psycho-education, normalization and clinical actions. Treatment approach will be primarily from a cognitive behavioral point of view. Students will be exposed to standard cognitive techniques, relaxation training, biofeedback and exposure techniques used in treatment. A basic review of psychopharmacology will be provided. We will review components of Panic Disorder treatment including exposure, psycho-education, specific cognitive reframing, hyperventilation syndrome and somatic interventions. Students will be exposed to special nuances related to treating OCD. PTSD treatment will include an introduction to Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR). Discussion will include real world use of these interventions. Student will learn the specific application of techniques including EMDR, biofeedback and some hands on learning of relaxation techniques.