Principles and Techniques of Trauma-Centered Psychotherapy

Principles and Techniques of Trauma-Centered Psychotherapy integrates
cognitive-behavioral, psychodynamic, and humanistic methods of trauma treatment
into a psychotherapeutic context. Rather than presenting a unique form of
intervention or technique, the authors present methods that have been used
successfully, some of which are supported by evidence-based research and some by
broad clinical experience. This is not a general text, then, but one focused on
building competence and confidence in trauma-centered interventions, providing
methods that should be readily and widely applicable to clinical practice. The
authors recognize that asking a client about the details of a traumatic event is
an intimate act that calls upon the therapist to be both compassionate and
dispassionate in the service of the client's well-being. Accordingly, the book
functions as a guide, instructing and supporting the clinician through this
demanding and necessary work.

The book has many useful features: The
book stresses technique, not theory, and is appropriate for clinicians of any
theoretical orientation, including cognitive-behavioral, psychodynamic,
humanistic, and sociocultural. Similarly, the book will be useful to a range of
clinicians, from psychiatrists and psychologists to social workers, marriage and
family therapists, and professional counselors. Dozens of detailed clinical
case examples are included that illustrate what to say and what not to say in
the wide variety of situations that clinicians are likely to encounter.
Down-to-earth strategies are included for setting up the proper trauma-centered
frame for the therapeutic work, conducting a detailed trauma history, exploring
the effects of the trauma on present-day behavior, and handling the inevitable
disruptions in the therapeutic relationship. Valuable features include study
questions, which conclude each chapter, and appendices, which provide a template
for a consent-to-treatment form, a traumatic life events questionnaire, and a
clinical assessment interview. In many long-term therapies, regardless of
therapeutic orientation, a moment comes when the clinician or client realizes it
is time to engage in a detailed exploration of traumatic events. Principles and
Techniques of Trauma-Centered Psychotherapy is for that moment, and its rich
clinical transcripts and vast detailed techniques will equip the therapist to
embark on that process confidently, humanely, and effectively.