Credit Available - See Credits tab below.
Total Credits: 1 American Psychological Association (APA)
Program Description
Most individuals who have been exposed to a potentially traumatic event, such as sexual assault/abuse, physical assault/abuse, natural disasters, motor vehicle accidents, and combat, are able to recover naturally. Others, however, get “stuck” at some point during the recovery process and develop post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Understanding how PTSD develops after a trauma and applying evidence-based treatment techniques to reduce or eliminate PTSD symptoms is critical area of competence for clinicians who serve trauma survivors. In this course, you will be introduced to one of the most effective treatments for individuals who have PTSD, called Prolonged Exposure therapy (PE).
Based on the work of Dr. Edna Foa and her colleagues, this course provides an overview of the the theoretical and empirical support for Prolonged Exposure therapy, and introduces the learner to the main treatment techniques used in PE.
Target Audience: For behavioral health/healthcare providers who treat military personnel, veterans, and their families.
Instructional Level: Introductory
Learning Objectives (one measurable objective per credit hour)
1. Characterize the psychological theories behind PE as they relate to case conceptualization
2. Evaluate the empirical evidence for PE’s effectiveness as it relates to treatment outcomes
3. Communicate the main treatment techniques used in PE to inform the clinician’s choice of treatment interventions
This activity is approved for 1.0 continuing education credits (CEs)
The Center for Deployment Psychology is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. The Center for Deployment Psychology maintains responsibility for this program and its content.
The Center for Deployment Psychology is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. The Center for Deployment Psychology maintains responsibility for this program and its content.
Kelly Chrestman, Ph.D., is a licensed clinical psychologist working as the lead for online consultation services at the Center for Deployment Psychology (CDP) at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences in Bethesda, Maryland. In this capacity, she is responsible for the development of the CDP’s web based consultation services to DoD and military mental health providers.
Dr. Chrestman received her Bachelor of Arts degree from Rhodes College, Memphis, Tennessee and her Master of Arts and Doctor of Psychology degrees from Nova Southeastern University. She completed a clinical psychology internship at the University of Mississippi, Jackson VA Medical Center Consortium and postdoctoral training at the Women’s Health Sciences Division of the National Center for PTSD,Boston, Massachusetts. Prior to joining the CDP, she was a research scientist at Behavioral Tech Research, Inc. and a clinical psychologist at the Center for the Treatment and Study of Anxiety at the University of Pennsylvania.
As a clinical and research psychologist, much of Dr. Chrestman’s work has focused on trauma, violence and anxiety. She is particularly interested in the dissemination of empirically supported treatments, and using technology to improve the accessibility of treatment and training in community settings. She has trained numerous student and mental health professionals from the United States and other countries in techniques for treating PTSD and other anxiety disorders.
Dr. Chrestman is a co-author of Prolonged Exposure Therapy for Adolescents with PTSD: Emotional Processing of Traumatic Experiences (2008) and has authored several articles on community and professional responses to trauma, particularly domestic violence and sexual assault.
