Online Trauma Training
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Delivery of Prolonged Exposure for PTSD: An Introduction (Audio Training, 3 Credits)

with Edna Foa, PhD & Norah Feeny, PhD

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Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a debilitating and chronic mental illness with lifetime rates ranging from 8%-14% of the U.S. population and12-month prevalence rates of approximately 4%. Several psychotherapies have been shown to be effective in reducing symptoms of PTSD. Of these therapies, the efficacy of prolonged exposure therapy (PE), a cognitive behavioral therapy using both in-vivo and imaginal exposure, has been strongly replicated, and shown to be effective for various types of traumas and for men and women. Further, in comparison to other active treatment modalities, PE has consistently shown equivalent, if not greater, efficacy. Although there have been advances in disseminating PE to the community (e.g., VAs), there is still significant progress to be made. The purpose of this PMI is to provide an introduction to the rationale for and implementation of PE. We will briefly review the empirical evidence for PE, provide a general overview of PE, and focus on in vivo  and imaginal exposure. To illustrate aspects of the intervention, we will show videotapes of PE in practice with real patients. Overall, we hope that this workshop will encourage practitioners to begin to incorporate this evidence-based therapy in their work with patients with PTSD and to seek more advanced training in its delivery.  

Potential for Participant Distress: We will show video examples of treatment techniques that may be distressing to some participants.

Learning Objectives:

  • Recognize the diagnostic criteria and prevalence of PTSD
  • Examine how PTSD affects cognitions and behavior
  • State the basic principles of prolonged exposure
  • Examine the effectiveness of prolonged exposure in the treatment of PTSD