PE for PTSD Session 2: Main Components

In video number 2, we’re going to talk about how to initiate session 2.

Every session from now on includes starting with reviewing the homework. This will usually take about 5 to 10 minutes unless there were problems. And if there were problems, spend time problem solving. At the beginning of the session, ask the patient how he or she has been doing in the past week and what his or her reactions were to the first session. You may ask, how are you feeling about the idea of exposure therapy? Review his or her symptoms quickly with the PTSD and depression measures. As I mentioned before, we usually ask people to complete those about every other session and I just leave them on the patient’s chair with a clipboard and ask them to complete them at the beginning. These self-report measures will allow you to discuss with the patient changes that may occur in symptoms of depression and PTSD as treatment progresses but we wouldn’t really expect any change by session 2.

Foa, E., Hembree, E. A., Rothbaum, B. O., & Rauch, S. (2019). Prolonged exposure therapy for PTSD: Emotional processing of traumatic experiences - Therapist guide (2nd ed.). Oxford University Press.,Rothbaum, B. O., Foa, E., Hembree, E. A., & Rauch, S. (2019). Reclaiming your life from a traumatic experience: Client workbook (2nd ed.). Oxford University Press.

Ask the patient how often he used the breathing retraining and how useful he found the technique during the last week and were there any problems. Discuss his reactions to listening to the recording of the session and ask if he has any questions about handout 1, the rationale for prolonged exposure treatment. If the patient didn’t do his homework, don’t spend significant session time at this point discussing this. Instead, tell him that you’re concerned because in order to do well in PE he needs to do the homework between each session.

Foa, E., Hembree, E. A., Rothbaum, B. O., & Rauch, S. (2019). Prolonged exposure therapy for PTSD: Emotional processing of traumatic experiences - Therapist guide (2nd ed.). Oxford University Press.,Rothbaum, B. O., Foa, E., Hembree, E. A., & Rauch, S. (2019). Reclaiming your life from a traumatic experience: Client workbook (2nd ed.). Oxford University Press.