Main description:

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 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.

Contents:

Herman, Foreword. Courtois, Ford, Introduction. Part I: Overview. Ford, Courtois, Defining and Understanding Complex Trauma and Complex Traumatic Stress Disorders. Ford, Neurobiological and Developmental Research: Clinical Implications. Ford, Cloitre, Best Practices in Psychotherapy for Children and Adolescents. Courtois, Ford, Cloitre, Best Practices in Psychotherapy for Adults. Briere, Spinazzola, Assessment of the Sequelae of Complex Trauma: Evidence-based Measures. Brown, Attachment and Abuse History, and Adult Attachment Style. Steele, van der Hart, Treating Dissociation. Brown, Cultural Competence. Kinsler, Courtois, Frankel, Therapeutic Alliance and Risk Management. Pearlman, Caringi, Living and Working Self-reflectively to Address Vicarious Trauma. Part II: Individual Treatment Approaches and Strategies. Gold, Contextual Therapy. Jackson, Nissenson, Cloitre, Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy. Follette, Iverson, Ford, Contextual Behavior Trauma Therapy. Fosha, Paivio, Gleiser, Ford, Experiential and Emotion-focused Therapy. Fisher, Ogden, Sensorimotor Psychotherapy. Opler, Grennan, Ford, Pharmacotherapy. Part III: Systemic Treatment Approaches and Strategies. R. C. Schwartz, M. F. Schwartz, Galperin, Internal Family Systems Therapy. Johnson, Courtois, Couple Therapy. Ford, Saltzman, Family Systems Therapy. Ford, Fallot, Harris, Group Therapy. Ford, Courtois, Conclusion: The Clinical Utility of a Complex Traumatic Stress Disorders Framework. van der Kolk, Afterword.