Advanced PTSD Case Conceptualization

When clients with Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) come to treatment, they usually struggle in a number of areas. It is often compelling to prioritize their present-day difficulties. However, attempting to target present-day challenges as the clinical entry-point often yields only minimal improvement in those areas, and leaves distressing PTSD symptoms untouched.

In this course, you will learn how to get to the heart of a client’s PTSD in order to drive improvements clinically from the inside out. This course can help you achieve clarity regarding why each client developed PTSD in the first place, and why they didn’t recover naturally from the traumatic event(s) they experienced. This course will provide practical guidance for developing a clear and comprehensive conceptualization of a client’s PTSD: Why they developed it, how they developed it, and what is maintaining it. This conceptualization can help identify key points where clients are stuck within their trauma, and guide effective treatment that addresses both present-day struggles and their underlying cause.

Total running time 90 minutes. 1.5 Hours CE. Recorded Video Format (non-interactive).

Content Advisory: This course includes discussion of traumatic events. To protect client confidentiality, case examples may include fictionalized elements.

ESTIMATED COURSE LENGTH: 1.5 hours 

CE CREDITS: 1.50 continuing education/contact hours for social workers, psychologists, counselors, and marriage and family therapists

TARGET AUDIENCE: Mental Health Practitioners

LEVEL OF INSTRUCTION: Advanced 

PREREQUISITE(S): None

INSTRUCTIONAL METHOD: Recorded video format (non-interactive)

ACCESSIBILITY ACCOMMODATIONS: Closed captioning of audio components. In order to request further accessibility accommodations, please email support@psychhub.com.

COMPLETION REQUIREMENTS: To obtain your CE certificate, learners must complete a pre-test (not scored), progress through all course segments, complete a participant evaluation, and obtain a score of 80% or higher on a post-test. Learners are expected to complete the quiz within 3 attempts. If unable to do so, the learner will need to re-review the course segments.

FINANCIAL/COMMERCIAL SUPPORT STATEMENT: This course has no commercial support.

CONFLICT OF INTEREST:  This course has no potential conflict of interest or outside commercial support. Psych Hub's conflict of interest statement is found in the footer of the training center.

GRIEVANCE AND REFUND POLICIES: Grievance and refund policies are found in the footer of the training center.

PARTICIPATION COSTS:  The cost to participate in this CE activity is included in the subscription registration fee.

COURSE CREATION DATE:  11/1/2021

By the end of this workshop, participants will be able to:

• Describe at least six vulnerability and resilience factors related to trauma recovery
• Identify at least two variables associated with non-recovery from traumatic events
• Develop a Cognitive Behavioral case conceptualization of PTSD
• Apply a Cognitive Behavioral case conceptualization in the development of a PTSD treatment plan

1. Case conceptualization overview
2. Resiliency and vulnerability factors related to PTSD
   1. Client-specific variables
   2. Trauma-specific variables
   3. Contextual variables
3. Factors associated with non-recovery after traumas
   1. Avoidance
   2. Schemas/beliefs
4. Defining and understanding factors maintaining PTSD
   1. Where clients with PTSD get stuck
   2. Maintenance of negative cognitions
   3. Meaning about the event
5. CBT case conceptualization
6. CBT treatment planning