Current Perspectives on Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Counseling

Catalog description

This course focuses on the historical background, phenomenology, etiology, longitudinal course, and treatment of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). We will trace the historical antecedents of PTSD from its early origins in war experience and train accidents (“battle fatigue,” “shell shock,” railway spine”) to its present day role in the DSM-IV and V. We will examine the nature of PTSD symptoms (e.g., intrusive thoughts, nightmares, detachment) and the way they cluster together (e.g., avoidance, dysphoria, and hyperarousal). We will consider the prevalence of PTSD and the different patterns of PTSD symptoms that people exhibit over time, emphasizing resilience and individual differences. We will examine the encoding and retrieval of memories in PTSD, as well as controversies related to false and received memories of traumatic events. We will discuss the etiological factors in the development and maintenance of PTSD, including genetics, neurobiological, neuroanatomical, person-centered, and socio-contextual factors. We will finish by addressing the efficacy and rationale of interventions designed to prevent or treat PTSD, including debriefing, preventative treatment and psychotherapeutic approaches of PTSD, such as exposure and cognitive restructuring.