Written Exposure Therapy for PTSD: A Brief Treatment Approach for Mental Health Professionals

This second edition provides readers with valuable tools and strategies to use in their clinical practice with trauma survivors with PTSD.  Written exposure therapy (WET) is an effective, evidence-based treatment for PTSD that is easy to implement, affordable, and has lower dropout rates than other trauma interventions. In Denise Sloan and Brian Marx's unique approach, the client writes about a single traumatic event, and the therapist focuses on the client's experiences while writing about the trauma, rather than the event itself. This comprehensive manual provides step-by-step instructions for conducting WET with clients who suffer from PTSD. It contains a scripted protocol for WET, along with detailed guidance for conducting each session. Since publication of the first edition, the authors have modified several important aspects of their protocol based on updated research and evidence. In this edition, the authors describe how to deliver WET over telehealth, in a group format, in primary care settings that typically only permit 30-minute sessions, and when using a language translator. New content shows how providers can manage difficult situations that sometimes arise when delivering WET, with valuable case examples that demonstrate key principles and potential outcomes of the WET protocol. This is an essential resource for trauma care providers, as well as graduate students in clinical psychology, counseling, and social work. Read more