Evidence-Based Treatments for Trauma, Chronic Anxiety, Depression, OCD and PTSD

Module 1: The Transdiagnostic Intersection Beyond the DSM: Why distinct disorders often look the same in the therapy room.

• The Core Drivers: Identifying the three engines driving comorbidity:
  • Emotional Avoidance: The refusal to feel distress.
  • Cognitive Rigidity: The inability to shift perspective.
  • Safety Behaviors: Short-term relief that causes long-term maintenance.
• Integration Model: How to hold a trauma-informed stance while delivering directive behavioral interventions.

Module 2: The Anxiety & OCD Spectrum – Facing the Fear

• Diagnosis Nuance: Distinguishing generalized anxiety (worry about real life) from OCD (ego-dystonic obsessions).
• The Gold Standard: Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP).
  • Why reassurance-seeking is a trap for therapists.
  • Building the Hierarchy: From “Subjective Units of Distress” (SUDS) to Inhibitory Learning.
• The “Backdoor” Compulsion: Identifying subtle mental rituals that block progress.

Module 3: Trauma & PTSD – Processing the Past

• Trauma vs. Stress: Clinical definitions and the “Stuck Point.”
• Overview of EBP Modalities:
  • Prolonged Exposure (PE): Habituation to the memory.
  • Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT): Challenging “stuck points” regarding safety, trust, and control.
  • EMDR: A brief overview
• Window of Tolerance: Assessing if a client is regulated enough for processing or requires further stabilization/resourcing.

Module 4: Depression – Breaking the Inertia

• The Trap of “Waiting to Feel Better”: Why motivation follows action, not the other way around.
• Behavioral Activation (BA):
  • Activity Scheduling: Moving from “internal focus” to “external engagement.”
  • Values-Based Action: Connecting tasks to what matters, not just what “needs to be done.”
• Cognitive Restructuring: Identifying and dismantling the “Negative Cognitive Triad” (Self, World, Future).

Module 5: Comorbidity & Sequencing – Putting It Together

• The Hierarchy of Treatment:
  • Rule 1: Safety First (Suicidality/Active Substance Use).
  • Rule 2: Interference (Treating what blocks therapy first).
• Case Study Application: Participants review a complex case (e.g., a client with sexual trauma history, resulting OCD contamination fears, and secondary depression) to design a treatment plan.
• The “Whack-a-Mole” Effect: Managing symptom substitution during treatment.

Module 6: Closing & Resources

• Q&A