The lasting effects of childhood trauma
Evidence-based interventions can help address PTSD, other symptoms in adulthood.
According to the American Psychological Association, several CBT-based psychotherapies are recommended for treating PTSD26:
Trauma-focused–CBT includes psychoeducation, trauma narrative, processing, exposure, and relaxation skills training. It consists of approximately 12 to 16 sessions and incorporates elements of family therapy.
Cognitive processing therapy (CPT) focuses on helping patients develop adaptive cognitive domains about the self, the people around them, and the world. CPT therapists assist in information processing by accessing the traumatic memory and trying to eliminate emotions tied to it.25,27 CPT consists of 12 to 16 structured individual, group, or combined sessions.
Prolonged exposure (PE) targets fear-related emotions and works on the principles of habituation to extinguish trauma and fear response to the trigger. This increases self-reliance and competence and decreases the generalization of anxiety to innocuous triggers. PE typically consists of 9 to 12 sessions. PE alone or in combination with cognitive restructuring is successful in treating patients with PTSD, but cognitive restructuring has limited utility in young children.25,27
Cognitive exposure can be individual or group therapy delivered over 3 months, where negative self-evaluation and traumatic memories are challenged with the goal of interrupting maladaptive behaviors and thoughts.27
Continue to: Stress inoculation training
