Treating Complex Traumatic Stress Disorders: An Evidence-Based Guide [Hardcover]

Christine A. Courtois (Editor), Julian D. Ford (Editor), Bessel A. van der Kolk (Afterword), Judith L. Herman (Foreword)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 1606230395 | ISBN-13: 978-1606230398 | Publication Date: February 5, 2009 | Edition: 1

Chronic childhood trauma, such as prolonged abuse or family violence, can severely disrupt a person's development, basic sense of self, and later relationships. Adults with this type of history often come to therapy with complex symptoms that go beyond existing criteria for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). This important book brings together prominent authorities to present the latest thinking on complex traumatic stress disorders and provide practical guidelines for conceptualization and treatment. Evidence-based assessment procedures are detailed, and innovative individual, couple, family, and group therapies are described and illustrated with case vignettes and session transcripts.

(20100212)

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Courtois and Ford present an essential, comprehensive work for clinicians and researchers. Evidence-based practice recommendations for psychotherapeutic and pharmacological treatment are presented--carefully adapted for those suffering from complex traumatic stress disorders--and a range of treatment models are clearly described. Rich clinical material, and attention to management of the therapeutic alliance, therapist self-care, and other key challenges in working with these clients, make this a most useful and innovative resource."--Josef I. Ruzek, PhD, Director, Dissemination and Training Division, National Center for PTSD

"This is the single best source for clinical expertise in complex traumatic stress disorders. Leading clinicians and researchers share a rich array of individual, couple, family, and group therapy models that illustrate basic treatment principles and best practices. Informed by recent research, the contributors cover the developmental and neurobiological background against which to frame essential assessment and treatment issues. Chapters on such pragmatic topics as vicarious traumatization and risk management offer advice on reducing stress for therapists working with these challenging cases."--Frank W. Putnam, MD, Departments of Pediatrics and Psychiatry, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center

"Treatments based on a traditional conceptualization of PTSD are frequently insufficient to address the diverse, long-lasting, and pervasive effects of complex trauma. This book offers a comprehensive review of treatment considerations, assessment measures, best practices, and evidence-based treatment approaches specifically tailored for psychotherapy with people who have experienced prolonged abuse and neglect by caregivers. An indispensable guide for any mental health professional who works with trauma survivors."--Pamela C. Alexander, PhD, Senior Research Scientist, Wellesley Centers for Women

(20100501)

"A valuable addition to understanding and treating complex traumatic stress disorders, this book will enhance the knowledge and therapeutic toolbox of any practitioner working with clients who have had complex psychological traumas....I really appreciated the insights offered by the contributors and the wealth of experience and knowledge assembled by the editors."--Addiction Today

(Addiction Today 20100924)

"The book has a compelling philosophical unity about it - essentially humanistic, and broadly cognitive and behavioural. Among all this solid evidence-based theory and practice, I also felt uplifted by a sense of optimism....I heartily recommend this book to any psychological therapist or medical practitioner who is called upon to help those whose life experiences have resulted in intransigent mental health issues that may thus far have been diagnosed as a developmental disorder, personality disorder (particularly borderline), or post-traumatic stress disorder."--Healthcare and Counselling and Psychotherapy Journal

(Healthcare and Counselling and Psychotherapy Journal 20100601)

"This book is welcome as it pulls together theoretical and clinical approaches to understanding and helping people with difficulties following multiple and prolonged traumatic experiences....This book addresses important issues and was stimulating both academically and clinically....The book will be useful to most therapists, but especially those who regularly work with people whose main problems are associated with abusive or neglectful experiences in early childhood."--Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapy

(Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapy 20100924)

"Editors Courtois and Ford unite to provide a thorough, stimulating, and current text on treating a very challenging population of individuals with complex trauma....This is an important and highly relevant book, addressing a complex problem, organizing what empirical support there is for the many approaches which are currently utilized and expanded for this population. Even if you do not work with traumatized individuals, there is much to learn from this book. It can be therapeutically profitable. Well-written, it has an impressive list of contributors, and Ford has a hand in many of the chapters. This book is highly recommended and well-worth its asking price."--Child and Family Behavior Therapy

(Child and Family Behavior Therapy 20100901)

"Will surely become a classic textbook on complex traumatic stress. This book is appropriate for students, clinicians, and academics alike. Because the concept of complex trauma is still evolving, this text can educate and inform students in training as well as seasoned clinicians....The authors of the book are leaders in the field of trauma and they artfully illustrate the nuances of the disorder as well as subsequent treatment through rich case examples....In our current mental health climate, there exists a psychiatric debate about formally establishing Complex PTSD as a disorder. In such a climate this book documents the current knowledge and evidence supporting the disorder and will surely help to shift the paradigm of how complex trauma is understood, assessed for, and ultimately healed from."--Clinical Social Work Journal

(Clinical Social Work Journal 20100501)

"Presents a well-researched, comprehensive source for clinical expertise in the area of complex traumatic stress disorder--specifically PTSD."--EABP Newsletter

(EABP Newsletter 20110207)

"This book is likely to appeal to clinicians who are eager to learn more about the area of complex traumatic stress and novel approaches to treating associated problems. The text is well-written and organized, making it easy to follow."--Journal of Contemporary Psychotherapy

(Journal of Contemporary Psychotherapy )

"This book is welcome as it pulls together theoretical and clinical approaches to understanding and helping people with difficulties following multiple and prolonged traumatic experiences....This book addresses important issues and was stimulating both academically and clinically....The book will be useful to most therapists, but especially those who regularly work with people whose main problems are associated with abusive or neglectful experiences in early childhood."--Journal of Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapy

(Journal of Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapy )

"A valuable addition to the libraries of both novice and experienced clinicians who treat patients with disorders as varied as reactive attachment disorder, borderline personality disorder, depression, dissociative disorders, and post-traumatic stress disorder....An unparalleled contribution to the existing literature on assessment and intervention with survivors of complex trauma. There are few existing compilations that have collected such a wide variety of treatment approaches from such prominent authors, and it is probable that this is the most comprehensive and current review to date. While multiple evidence-based treatment strategies are given attention in this book, it is detailed enough so that the reader is able to make an informed decision about whether to pursue an approach. In addition, several chapters describe essential understanding required for working with any survivor of complex trauma regardless of the particular intervention style....One of the book''s highlights is its thoughtful and comprehensive summary of assessment tools for the clinician treating survivors of complex traumatic stress....Courtois and Ford have assembled an impressive volume of empirically-informed assessment and treatment approaches that ''honor and support the resilience of trauma survivors as they carry on with their lives and enrich the lives of their families and communities.''"--Trauma Psychology Newsletter (APA Division 56)

(Trauma Psychology Newsletter (APA Division 56) )

About the Author

Christine A. Courtois, PhD, is a psychologist in private practice in Washington, DC. She is cofounder and past Clinical and Training Director of The Center: Posttraumatic Disorders Program at the Psychiatric Institute of Washington, and past Codirector of the Maryland Psychological Association’s Post-Doctoral Institute on Psychological Trauma. Dr. Courtois has authored three books, including Healing the Incest Wound, as well as numerous articles and book chapters. Among her most recent awards are the Outstanding Contributions to Professional Practice Award from Division 56 (Psychological Trauma) of the American Psychological Association and the Lifetime Achievement Award from the International Society for the Study of Trauma and Dissociation (ISSTD). Dr. Courtois routinely conducts professional training locally, nationally, and internationally on topics related to traumatic stress.

 

Julian D. Ford, PhD, is Associate Professor of Psychiatry at the University of Connecticut School of Medicine and Director of the University of Connecticut Health Center Child Trauma Clinic and Center for Trauma Response Recovery and Preparedness. He has developed the Trauma Affect Regulation: Guide for Education and Therapy (TARGET) treatment model for adult, adolescent, and child traumatic stress disorders, and conducts research on psychotherapy and family therapy, health services utilization, psychometric screening and assessment, and psychiatric epidemiology. Dr. Ford has coedited two other recent books, Treating Traumatized Children: Risk, Resilience, and Recovery and The Encyclopedia of Psychological Trauma.

Dr. Courtois and Dr. Ford are co-recipients of the ISSTD's Print Media Award for this book.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 488 pages
• Publisher: The Guilford Press; 1 edition (February 5, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1606230395
• ISBN-13: 978-1606230398
• Product Dimensions: 9.4 x 6.6 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #22,130 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #2 in Books > Law > Family & Health Law > Mental Health
  • #17 in Books > Medical Books > Nursing > Psychiatry & Mental Health
  • #17 in Books > Health, Fitness & Dieting > Mental Health > Post-traumatic Stress Disorder

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

48 of 48 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Must-Read!, February 28, 2010

By 

David C. Young "David C. Young, LCSW" (Colorado Springs, CO USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Treating Complex Traumatic Stress Disorders: An Evidence-Based Guide (Hardcover)

As a psychotherapist, I've struggled to treat various forms of Complex PTSD, in children & adults, for over 20 years, including borderline personality disorder, Reactive Attachment Disorder (RAD) and current forms of multi-deployment Combat PTSD.

This recent collection of 20 articles from over 30 leading scholars, researchers and clinicians in the field will doubtless be the standard reference for Complex PTSD for many years. If you want to know more about how to understand, diagnose and treat Complex PTSD, START HERE! The articles are divided into three sections: overview, individual treatment approaches and strategies and - what a relief! - systemic treatment approaches and strategies. I say, "What a relief!", as often in reviews of treatment approaches, systemic approaches are given short shrift. And in my experience, systemic approaches are often VERY much needed, in some cases indispensible, for healing Complex PTSD, especially with children & teens, and especially with major problems with attachment - one sadly common hallmark of Complex PTSD. Each article has an extensive bibliography for those who want to know more.

The "Overview" section covers a satisfyingly large number of topics, including current approaches to understanding & defining Complex PTSD, overviews on best Practices with children & teens and with adults, cultural issues, risk management/treatment alliance and compassion fatigue/vicarious traumatizing. I want to compliment the editors for this last article. Few areas of psychotherapy are more prone to therapist burnout via PTSD by association than Complex PTSD. I strongly recommend that all clinicians who work significantly in this area become competent in assessing their own risks to compassion fatigue and take regular steps to manage this.

The "Individual Treatment Approaches and Strategies" section is refreshingly clear of biases toward one school. In addition to the standard Cognitive/Behavioral models, they also include articles on Experiential and Emotion-Focused Models, Sensorimotor Psychotherapy and - useful for clinicians to know --Pharmacotherapy. Each article presents an initial summary, the model's basic assumptions/theory, reviews the research, discusses specific clinical applications and presents a case example and/or transcript. While not lengthy, they provide enough information for clinicians to decide whether to pursue an approach further.

The "Systemic Treatment Approaches and Strategies" section includes Richard Schwartz's "Internal Family Systems" as well as traditional multi-person "systems" treatments - Couple Therapy, Family Systems Therapy and Group Therapy. As with the individual treatment section, each section includes overview, basic assumptions, review of research, clinical applications and case example/transcript. Both the "Internal Family Systems" and the "Couple Therapy" articles are written by the field's giants - Schwartz and Susan Johnson & Christine Courtois. These two articles are gems for a moderate introduction. I found the family section more disappointing - particularly since so little has been "overviewed" in this field. But then this could be because my giants - Daniel Hughes (see Attachment-Focused Family Therapy and Building the Bonds of Attachment: Awakening Love in Deeply Troubled Children) and Heather Forbes & B. Bryan Post (See Beyond Consequences, Logic, and Control: A Love-Based Approach to Helping Attachment-Challenged Children With Severe Behaviors) - weren't even referenced. Nor did they reference the Grand Dame of RAD family approaches, albeit less therapy than parenting -- Nancy Thomas. (Her 2nd ed. of "When Love Is Not Enough: A Guide to Parenting Children with RAD" is a strong improvement, correcting parts in the 1st ed. which could be misinterpreted and lead families to become punishing.)

I have three complaints, which are serious, but which don't take away the true importance of this collection. First is that by emphasizing treatments ONLY, they mention, but do not emphasize as much as, in my experience, as is desperately needed, the difficult relationship-building aspects. In my experience, building specific Complex-PTSD relationships is more important than particular treatment approaches. For information about building relationships, and about more on accessing client strengths & feedback, I recommend Psychotherapy Relationships that Work: Therapist Contributions and Responsiveness to Patients and The Heart and Soul of Change: Delivering What Works in Therapy (Be sure to get the 2nd ed., 2010!).

Second is that large areas of Complex PTSD are neglected or even completely ignored. For example, as someone who treats Combat PTSD with soldiers (and their families) who've experienced three and four deployments of a year or more, I'm finding that the worse the deployment, and more deployments appear to be creating symptom clusters highly typical of Complex PTSD. Another area: as someone who treats individuals with Asperger's/High Functioning Autism, I find that many AS/HFA teens, especially, because of problems they face - socially, educationally, vocationally, in managing feelings, cognitively - also appear to develop symptoms quite similar to the Complex PTSD cluster.

Third is that I strongly wish that issues of addiction & various forms of self-medicating were more integrated into the Complex PTSD concept and into the treatment approaches. I find addictions/self-medicating distressingly common in Complex PTSD. And when present, addictions/self-medicating greatly complicates building treatment alliances and other relationships, the resources available to clients and finding approaches which integrate this into general Complex PTSD treatment.

Again, though, I want to emphasize: if you work in this field, I'd recommend buying this book. Its rampant pluralism of approaches is just what Complex PTSD needs. Here, like nowhere else in my clinical experience, one size does NOT fit all. Not only are different treatment approaches needed, commonly different modalities, such as family & group, are also needed. Therefore, knowing several approaches helps the vital process of individualizing treatments.

We can never know enough treatments for helping these people & their families. And "Treating Complex Traumatic Stress Disorders" can help us all find more approaches that can help us help more clients.

29 of 32 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Desperately Needed!, March 23, 2009

By 

K. Neily (New York City) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Treating Complex Traumatic Stress Disorders: An Evidence-Based Guide (Hardcover)

This book is THE ultimate resource and current "How To" for trauma work that does Not fit neatly into a (now outdated) definition of "trauma". Complex trauma is a much more realistic picture of what we have been seeing in today's world. Thanks to the humility, dedication, and commitment of this remarkable list of contributors to share information, this specialty is in top form. I have been privileged to work with trauma survivors for many years and how wonderful to have the "creme de la creme" at my fingertips...How wonderful to have this extraordinary field of work given it's due. By the way, the chapter on Internal Family Systems Therapy is a real bonus.

5 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Very informative, July 1, 2010

By 

K (USA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Treating Complex Traumatic Stress Disorders: An Evidence-Based Guide (Hardcover)

This is an excellent book by a skilled group of authors/clinicians. The study of complex trauma is an important one. Much is yet to be learned. The authors provide important up to date information about this field of study.