The Use of the Three Steps Model after the Great East Japan Earthquake : A Case Study in the Treatment of Flashbacks

Abstract

. (cid:1) After the Great East Japan Earthquake, many citizens experienced severe psychological reactions. This paper describes a three steps model characterized by solution-focused brief therapy sessions. In one particular case, this method was successfully utilized over the course of only two sessions by a therapist who was able to treat and resolve the flashback episodes of an adult female client who saw full recovery and complete normalization of her traumatic symptoms within two years, and all without the use of traditional trauma-oriented treatments. This study examines that particular case, and although there are limitations to this study due to the absence of a control group and its focus on a single case, it remains important and worthwhile to examine the remarkable effectiveness of this three steps model for clients with post-traumatic stress disorder.