Integrating brief exposure exercises to support cognitive processing therapy for treatment of PTSD: A case study

Abstract

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a prevalent and concerning mental health diagnosis across the globe. There are multiple evidence-based treatments that have been shown to effectively treat PTSD, including cognitive processing therapy (CPT) and exposure-based interventions. This case study depicts using CPT for treating uncomplicated PTSD in a 28-year-old woman, while integrating brief exposure exercises in the client’s homework. These exercises helped target avoidance symptoms and acute distress as well as increase quality of life, such that the client was better able to engage in CPT. Follow up data indicated a significant reduction in PTSD symptoms as measured by the Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Checklist (PCL-5) such that she no longer met clinical criteria for a diagnosis of PTSD or experienced significant distress related to her trauma. This data reflects the utility of integrating other evidence-based exercises into manualized treatment to create nuanced, individualized treatment plans. Clinical and research implications regarding the utility of implementing an integrated, conceptualization-driven treatment approach are discussed.