Imaginal Exposure for PTSD in Session 3: Summary
Associate Vice-Chair of Clinical Research, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine
Director, Emory Healthcare Veterans Program
Director, Emory Trauma and Anxiety Recovery Program
Paul A. Janssen Chair in Neuropsychopharmacology
Key Points
- Imaginal exposure begins in session 3.
- In imaginal exposure, we ask the patient to go back to the time of the trauma and recount it out loud, repeatedly.
- After the imaginal exposure, we’ll process the experience with the patient.
Materials Downloads
Transcript
Video 9: Take-Home Messages. I have a lot of take-home messages from this module.
Session 3 is an important session because imaginal exposure begins in session 3.
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.
In imaginal exposure, we ask the patient to go back in her mind’s eye to the time of the trauma and recount it out loud, repeatedly, several times per session. And we record it for homework and practice.
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.
