Treating PTSD

Treating PTSD presents a comprehensive, compassion-focused cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) approach that provides therapists with the evidence-based information they need to understand trauma's effects on the mind and body as well as the phases of healing.

Shirley Porter, MEd, RSW, CCC, is a registered psychotherapist who has been providing trauma counseling for more than 25 years. She currently works in the counseling department at Fanshawe College and is an adjunct clinical professor at Western University, both in Ontario, Canada.

Introduction 1. A Brief History of Our Understanding of Trauma 2. Trauma Foundations 3. Traumatic Stress Responses 4. Complex Trauma 5. Recommended Evidence-Based Approaches for Treating PTSD 6. Clinical Foundations for Working with Clients Suffering from PTSD 7. Therapist Self-Care 8. First Things First 9. Gathering Tools for the Journey 10. Beginning the Climb - Trauma Processing 11. Preparing for Counseling Termination: Living with the Scars Appendix 1. Traumatic Stress Symptom Screening Checklist (TSSSC) Appendix 2. Suicide Risk Assessment Appendix 3. Safety Plan Appendix 4. Understanding Your Window of Tolerance Appendix 5. Individual Distress Tolerance Plan Appendix 6. Sample Referral Letter to Physician Appendix 7. Sample Therapist Letter to Client Appendix 8. Negative Cognitions Questionnaire - Initial Form (NCQ-IF) Appendix 9. Compassion-Focused CBT - Summary