Assessment and Treatment of Traumatic Stress Disorders

Catalog description

Results from epidemiological surveys suggest that over 90% of the U.S. population (and over 75% globally) will experience at least one potentially traumatic event in their lifetime. The impacts of untreated traumatic stress can be diffuse and deleterious, yet many clinicians do not receive formal training in the assessment and treatment of traumatic stress disorders. The purpose of this course is to prepare clinicians-in-training with fundamental and applicable knowledge in the assessment and treatment of traumatic stress disorders. Specifically, this course will cover a wide variety of topics pertinent to clinicians treating trauma, including differentiating trauma from life event stress, identifying core criteria for traumatic stress disorders (acute stress disorder and posttraumatic stress disorder), assessing symptoms of traumatic stress using gold-standard instruments (LEC-5, CAPS-5, PCL-5), and connection of major theories on the phenomenology of trauma (e.g. Cognitive Appraisal Theory, Emotional Processing Theory) to clinical practice guideline approved treatments for posttraumatic stress disorder (e.g. Cognitive Processing Therapy, Prolonged Exposure Therapy). In addition to seminal readings covering the topics described above, clinicians will also be exposed to latest peer-reviewed publications in contemporary topics in the field, such as complex posttraumatic stress disorder, intensive outpatient treatment of PTSD, and shared-decision making to improve treatment engagement and outcomes.