The Diagnosis and Treatment of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD): How to conduct Prolonged Exposure Therapy

Copenhagen: March 16 - 19, 2009. Please note, the workshop are fully booked.

Chronic posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is an often complex and challenging disorder for clinicians to treat. But with lifetime prevalence 8% of the population in the U.S, it is extremely important to find efficient and effective treatments.

In this workshop, I will provide instruction in the use of Prolonged Exposure Therapy (PE), an empirically-validated and highly efficacious cognitive behavioral treatment for chronic PTSD.

I will first discuss the diagnosis of PTSD and what distinguishes these disorders from other anxiety disorders.

Next, I will present a theoretical account for why some traumatized individuals recover and others do not. I will then present a summary of the empirical literature about the efficacy of cognitive behavior therapy with an emphasis on PE.

During the clinical part of the workshop I will describe the different procedures of the treatment, and will illustrate them with excerpts from videotaped therapy sessions.

Participants will learn how to deliver these procedures through role plays of each component.

Objectives of the workshop for the participants:

1. Learn about the diagnosis and psychopathology of PTSD.
2. Learn how to implement the treatment components of Prolonged Exposure Therapy.
3. Learn how clients can be helped to emotionally engage in and process traumatic memories, with the aim of reducing trauma-related symptoms and difficulties.

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Edna B. Foa, Ph.D., Professor of Clinical Psychology in Psychiatry at the University of Pennsylvania, Director of the Center for the Treatment and Study of Anxiety, is an internationally renowned authority on the psychopathology and treatment of anxiety. Her research aiming at delineating etiological frameworks and targeted treatment has been highly influential and she is currently one of the leading experts in the areas of post-traumatic stress disorders. The program she has developed for rape victims is considered to be the most effective therapy for post-trauma sequela. homepage »

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Course fee:

DKK 8000,- (approximately NOK 9980,- or EURO 1077,-) (accommodations not included in the price)

Materials:

Participants will receive copies of the book Prolonged Exposure Therapy for PTSD: Emotional Processing of Traumatic Experiences, Therapist Guide and the companion patient workbook Reclaiming Your Life From a Traumatic Experience, written by Dr. Foa with colleagues Barbara O. Rothbaum and Elizabeth A. Hembree and published in 2007 by Oxford Univerisity Press.

Reading list with recommended articles (PDF) and material from the workshop is available on the workshop resource page. On the forum page for the workshop you can discuss PTSD and prolonged exposure with researchers and clinicians.

Target audience:

Anyone working clinically with traumatized patients (PUT, DPS, BUP, PPT, hospitals, etc.) or with research on trauma and double diagnosis disorders, such as borderline and alcohol-/drug abuse, and researchers in psychotherapy (maximum 30 participants). The workshop is especially relevant for treatment teams developing competence in Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT).

Course approvals:

The seminar was approved in 2006 by the Norwegian Psychological Association as 16 hours free specialization or maintenance course credits, and by the Norwegian Medical Association with 30 points in clinical psychiatry. The Norwegian Nurses Council (NSF) and the joint association of social educators, child welfare specialists and social workers (FO), with 14 specialization hours. Applications for approval will be re-submitted.

Time and Place:

Le Meridien Palace Hotel, Town Hall 53, 1550 Copenhagen, Denmark • Phone: (45) 3314 4050 (MAP)
Monday to Thursday, March 16 - 19, 2009

Questions can be addressed to Tina Kierkeby, Mail: tiki [at] shf [dot] fyns-amt [dot] dk Tel: (+45) 63202368