Blog posts with the tag "Clinical Skills"

Staff Voices - Hope and PTSD Treatment

By  on 26.09.2012 4:50 pm

Some time ago I was in a family’s living room talking to a group who had come to the US as war refugees. Many had been tortured before fleeing their homeland, before finding safe haven in the US. I had been invited there to talk about PTSD and effective treatment. Many in the room likely suffered with the disorder, but if so, called it “nervousness” and referred to themselves or those with the problem as, “he’s crazy now…too bad.”

The horrors of war, the deaths, imprisonment and torture leave an indelible mark on the human psyche. PTSD, however, a psychiatric diagnosis, does not have to be part of the lingering legacy of war. That was the main point of my talk…and to share resources for help.

Staff Voices: To PE or CPT…that is the question

By Holly O'Reilly  on 12.09.2012 4:26 pm

As I work with clinicians who are trained in evidence-based treatments for PTSD, one query is raised repeatedly…Should I use Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT) or Prolonged Exposure (PE) to treat patient X?

PTSD is one of the signature disorders of the OIF/OEF conflict. PTSD is characterized by symptoms of re-experiencing, avoidance/numbing and hyperarousal. As many as 20% of the US service members returning from Iraq or Afghanistan since 2001 may have PTSD (www.iom.edu/militaryptsd). We may safely assume that a significant number of veterans from the current conflict and other eras will need effective treatment to alleviate PTSD symptoms. Let’s review…

Staff Voices - Dissociation and Cognitive Processing Therapy for PTSD

By Tayebeh Monfared  on 18.07.2012 11:58 am

Dissociation is not unusual during psychological traumatization, and dissociative symptoms commonly occur with PTSD. Its manifestation both peri-trauma and during trauma recall is disturbing to both patients and therapists. Some trauma experts believe dissociation plays a unique role in management of trauma-related distress. A dissociative subtype of PTSD is being considered for DSM-V.

Staff Voices - Got Apps?

By Jenna Ermold  on 27.06.2012 3:51 pm

Smart phones,  they’re everywhere. In fact, currently there are approximately 91.4 million smartphones in the United States alone.  Whether or not you have one and no matter your views on how good, bad or ugly smartphones are for society, statistically speaking the probability that your clients wear one like an extra appendage is very high.  In fact, approximately 3 out of 5 clients aged 25 – 34 own a smartphone, which is more than any other age group.

Staff Voices - Productive Processing of In Vivo Exposure

By Kelly Chrestman  on 20.06.2012 4:48 pm

The last blog entry on in vivo exposure discussed some strategies to help your client be better prepared to benefit from in vivo exposure. This week I want to talk about “post-in vivo processing”. We don’t usually emphasize processing when we discuss in vivo exposure but it is just as important for in vivo exercises as it is for imaginal exposure. Post-in vivo processing is not merely a check the box activity to make sure the homework was done but instead is an opportunity for a client to reflect on the homework assignment, and extract some understanding or insight from the experience of facing fear and living to tell about it. For some, this may simply mean concluding, “It was easier than I expected it to be!” But for others, it may mean evaluating and dismantling some strongly held beliefs that have kept them “safe” from harm for a long time. Give example?

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