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Cognitive Processing Therapy for PTSD, therapist's chair

Becoming a better CPT therapist

According to Woody Allen, 80 percent of success is showing up. This might also be the case for therapists wanting to improve the outcomes for clients with PTSD.  Kera Swanson and colleagues (2021) investigated the influence of specific activities performed during Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT) consultation or supervision meetings. CPT

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CPT for PTSD in a Week

My guess would be that most clinicians would think that trauma therapy would take a long time. This case study shows otherwise. More on that below.   Why CPT in a week Previous research has shown that there are often practical barriers to attending therapy for PTSD. Browne et al.

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Treating PTSD During Pregnancy?

Only a limited number of research studies have examined treatment outcomes for PTSD following traumatic birth in the postnatal period. There is even less research documenting outcomes for treatment of PTSD during during pregnancy. However, in private practice and maternity settings woman are frequently referred during pregnancy with symptoms of

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Therapeutic Drift – When therapy ceases to be therapy

Why should a therapist be concerned with Therapeutic Drift? As we drift away from therapy we also drift away from effective outcomes for clients. What is therapeutic drift Therapeutic drift is defined in many ways. Generally, it is when the therapist stops using therapeutic methods. It can also include when

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Styles of maternal Care

Joan Raphael-Leff (1993) Raphael-Leff is a well-known psychoanalyst with extensive experience working with pregnant women and mothers.  In her practice and her writings, she has observed a range of approaches to baby care routines.  She has described these different approaches along a spectrum of what she called “facilitator to regulator”

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Attachment and trauma, do I need to do anything special?

As common sense might tell you there could be a link between trauma and attachment. This is highlighted in the literature (Cyr, et al. 2010: Tocker, et al. 2017 and Twaite & Rodriguez-Srednicki, 2004). The link between attachment insecurity and mental health difficulties is also in the literature (Mikulincer &

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Should PTSD be Treated During Pregnancy?

In perinatal clinical practice, especially in maternity settings, women are frequently referred during pregnancy for treatment of PTSD.  The symptoms of PTSD are often the result of a previous traumatic birth.  But this raises questions such as….. Is it safe to provide PTSD treatment during pregnancy?  What about the possible

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Working with Birth Trauma using Cognitive Processing Therapy

PTSD occurs when a person develops rigid, unhelpful beliefs about why a traumatic event occurred. When something frightening and distressing happens, people search for explanations for why.  We construct stories to create meaning.  We crave a sense of coherence and control.  Sometimes we also lay blame, on ourselves or others.

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The Transition to Motherhood – Psychological Factors Associated with Pregnancy, Labour and Birth. Article published in APS InPsych, Feb. 2017

The Transition to Motherhood – Psychological Factors Associated with Pregnancy, Labour and Birth By Dr Emma Symes, MAPS, CCLIN. The Centre for Women’s Mental Health, The Royal Women’s Hospital The ‘ordinary miracle’ of pregnancy and birth is a time of enormous physiological, social and psychological change for women. How a

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