This insightful guide provides a pragmatic roadmap for treating adult survivors of complex psychological trauma. Christine Courtois and Julian Ford present their effective, research-based approach for helping clients move through three clearly defined phases of posttraumatic recovery. Two detailed case examples run throughout the book, illustrating how to plan and implement strengths-based interventions that use a secure therapeutic alliance as a catalyst for change. Essential topics include managing crises, treating severe affect dysregulation and dissociation, and therapist self-care. The companion website offers downloadable reflection questions for clinicians and extensive listings of professional and self-help resources. A new preface in the paperback and the e-book editions addresses key scientific advances. See also Drs. Courtois and Ford's edited volumes, Treating Complex Traumatic Stress Disorders (Adults) and Treating Complex Traumatic Stress Disorders in Children and Adolescents, which present research on the nature of complex trauma and review evidence-based treatment models. Winner (Second Place) American Journal of Nursing Book of the Year Award, Psychiatric and Mental Health Nursing Category Canadian Contributors: Paul Frewen, Ph.D, Psychobiology of Trauma-related Disorders, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario Ruth Lanius, Ph.D, Director of PTSD Unit, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario Sandra Wieland, Board of Directors, International Society for the Study of Trauma and Dissociation, Sidney, British Columbia "Describing evidence-based models for treatment of complex trauma in children, this book is interwoven with contemporary knowledge about psychobiology and is richly illustrated with extended clinical examples. In addition to a focus on individual treatment, some chapters address the systems within which traumatized children live and are treated. There is a repeated focus throughout the chapters on attachment, self-regulation, and engaging families in treatment. The book provides an excellent foundation for clinicians working with this population."--Laurie Anne Pearlman, PhD, past president, Trauma Research, Education, and Training Institute, Inc. "This volume comprehensively examines complex trauma in children and adolescents, from its neurobiological impact to the development and dissemination of evidence-based treatments. Newer therapies currently being tested are also discussed; case examples illustrate the use of each modality. Clinical challenges related to self-regulation, dissociation, impaired caregiver attachment, and intergenerational trauma are addressed. Written with clarity and detail, each chapter will benefit both trainees and seasoned mental health and medical practitioners. This book fosters needed synergy between scientific inquiry and real-world clinical applications in this important field."--Alesia O. Hawkins, PhD, Department of Family and Community Medicine, University of Illinois College of Medicine at Rockford "I have used this book in both advanced undergraduate- and graduate-level courses. It provides an excellent overview of the neurobiological consequences of early and ongoing trauma, as well as best practices for assessment and intervention to help children and families. The blend of chapters on the consequences of trauma for early development with those on evidence-based treatments and practices specific to complex trauma is very helpful to students in training to enter a variety of clinical and behavioral health fields. This book has been an excellent companion reader in my trauma-focused intervention course."--Carla Smith Stover, PhD, Department of Mental Health Law and Policy, University of South Florida "It's all here, including insights into neuroscience, family dynamics, assessment, and--most centrally--intervention. Clinicians and advanced students of psychiatry, psychology, and social work will consider this book a tremendous resource. Chapters on betrayal trauma, multitraumatized children, and treatment approaches are particularly useful for psychotherapists. The list of authors reads as a 'who's who' in the field. If you've ever wondered what to do to help a severely traumatized child, this book is for you."--Lisa Aronson Fontes, PhD, University Without Walls, University of Massachusetts Amherst — “The text goes beyond specific trauma models, providing a unifying conceptualization of complex traumatic stress disorders, their development and presenting features, before directing the reader to specific clinical recommendations…I would thoroughly recommend this book.” — Journal of Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapy, July 2014 About the Editors: Julian D. Ford, PhD, ABPP, a clinical psychologist, is Professor of Psychiatry, Psychology, and Law at the University of Connecticut, where he is also Director of the Center for Trauma Recovery and Juvenile Justice. He has served on the Steering Committee of the National Child Traumatic Stress Network, as Associate Editor of the Journal of Trauma and Dissociation and the European Journal of Psychotraumatology, as Co-Chair of the Presidential Task Force on Child Trauma for Division 56 (Trauma Psychology) of the American Psychological Association (APA), and as a board member and Vice President of the International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies (ISTSS). With Christine A. Courtois, Dr. Ford is a recipient of the Print Media Award from the International Society for the Study of Trauma and Dissociation (ISSTD) for their coedited volume on treating complex traumatic stress disorders in adults; he has also published several other books on trauma-related topics. Dr. Ford developed and conducts research on the Trauma Affect Regulation: Guide for Education and Therapy (TARGET) psychosocial intervention for adolescents, adults, and families.
Christine A. Courtois, PhD, ABPP, a counseling psychologist in private practice in Washington, DC, is National Clinical Training Director of Elements Behavioral Health; cofounder and past Clinical and Training Director of The CENTER: Posttraumatic Disorders Program, in Washington, DC; chair of APA’s Guideline Development Panel for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder; past president of APA Division 56; and past founding Associate Editor of the Division's journal, Psychological Trauma: Theory, Research, Practice, and Policy. She is a recipient of the Outstanding Contributions to Professional Practice Award from APA Division 56, the APA Award for Distinguished Professional Contributions to Applied Psychology as a Professional Practice, the Lifetime Achievement Award from ISSTD, and the Sarah Haley Award for Clinical Excellence from ISTSS, among other honors. She has published numerous books (four of them coedited or coauthored with Dr. Ford), book chapters, and articles on trauma-related topics. |