Written Exposure Therapy for PTSD: A Brief Treatment Approach for Mental Health Professionals

by Denise M. Sloan PhD, Brian P. Marx

Overview

This treatment manual provides mental health professionals with instructions for conducting written exposure therapy (WET) with clients who have posttraumatic stress disorder.

Authors Došenise Sloan and Brian Marx developed WET in response to a growing demand for an effective PTSD treatment that is easier to implement, more affordable, and has lower dropout rates than other trauma interventions. In their unique approach, the client writes about a single traumatic event, and the therapist focuses on the client’s experiences in writing about the trauma, rather than the event itself.
 
Written Exposure Therapy for PTSD contains a scripted protocol for WET along with detailed clinical guidance for conducting each session. Sloan and Marx answer frequently asked questions from clinicians and review real‑life case examples that demonstrate solutions to common issues and challenges that can occur during WET sessions. They also explain how to assess the client before treatment to determine the appropriateness of WET and during treatment to monitor the client’s progress. Key background information about PTSD symptoms and WET’s theoretical underpinnings are also reviewed.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781433830129
Publisher:	American Psychological Association
Publication date:	04/23/2019
Pages:	115
Sales rank:	286,493
Product dimensions:	5.90(w) x 8.90(h) x 0.40(d)

About the Author

Došenise M. Sloan, PhD, is Associate Director in the Behavioral Science Division at the National Center for PTSD, VA Boston Healthcare System and Professor of Psychiatry at Boston University School of Medicine. Her research expertise is in psychosocial treatments for PTSD and emotion in psychopathology. Dr. Sloan currently serves as Editor for the journal Behavior Therapy and is a consulting editor for several scientific journals. She received the Toy Caldwell-Colbert Award for Distinguished Educator in Clinical Psychology in 2017 and the International Society of Traumatic Stress Studies: Distinguished Mentor Award in 2015. Došenise lives in Sharon, MA. Visit https://profiles.bu.edu/Došenise.Sloan.

Brian P. Marx, PhD, is Deputy Director of the Behavioral Science Division, National Center for PTSD at VA Boston Healthcare System and Professor of Psychiatry at Boston University School of Medicine. His research interests include the assessment and treatment of PTSD, identifying risk factors for posttraumatic difficulties, and suicide risk detection and prevention among veterans. He serves on the editorial board of several scientific journals. Brian received the APA Division 56 Award for Outstanding Contributions to the Science of Trauma Psychology in 2017. He also coauthored Making Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy Work, Third Edition. Brian lives in Sharon, MA. Visit https://profiles.bu.edu/Brian.Marx.

Table of Contents

Foreword Charles W. Hoge ix

Acknowledgments xiii

Introduction 3

1 Overview of PTSD and Trauma-Focused Interventions 7

2 Development and Efficacy Findings of Written Exposure Therapy 19

3 Assessing PTSD Before Beginning Written Exposure Therapy 35

4 Delivery of Written Exposure Therapy and Special Considerations 47

5 Frequently Asked Questions About Delivering Written Exposure Therapy 67

6 Case Illustrations 73

Appendix: Written Exposure Therapy Script 91

References 99

Index 111

About the Authors 115

What People are Saying About This

David H. Barlow

Sloan and Marx, two of the foremost authorities on the nature and treatment of PTSD, have created and validated a powerful new treatment that is brief, efficient, and, most important, easy to use. This is clearly the next step forward, and every therapist seeing trauma patients should be aware of it.
 

Meaghan O'Donnell

WET is emerging as a low-dose, high-impact intervention for PTSD treatment. In this easy-to-read, comprehensive overview of WET, Sloan and Marx review the efficacy of the protocol, discuss key issues for assessment, and provide step-by-step guidance for conducting each WET session. Perfect for clinicians at any point in their career.