Exposure Therapy Case

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For Charlie, there would be a combination of psychoeducation, cognitive therapy, and exposure therapy to try to help him with his PTSD. The purpose of using psychoeducation is to teach Charlie, and his family members, more about the mental disorder that is affecting him (Abramowitz, 2018). It will help Charlie learn that the symptoms he is experiencing are common for the type of traumas he experienced (Abramowitz, 2018). In addition, it will both Charlie and his parents learn more about the possible treatment options and the role each person has to play to better improve Charlie’s condition (Abramowitz, 2018). Cognitive therapy would be helpful for Charlie to teach him about the how a person’s thoughts and beliefs can affect their moods and …show more content…

Prolonged exposure therapy can encompass imaginal, interoceptive, and in vivo exposure therapy (Tull, 2017). Charlie, and the mental professional, will work together to establish a narrative of the traumatic experience he lived (Tull, 2017). Charlie will be exposed, little by little at a time, to the memories or situations he is afraid of and that he tends to avoid (Tull, 2017). Charlie will do this by discussing the specifics of the trauma and the situations he has been avoiding (Tull, 2017). This will be the imaginal exposure therapy …show more content…

This does not mean that his symptoms will be completely eliminated. The degree to which Charlie improves is subjective and based on a variety of factors (like the type and amount of social support he has and his self-efficacy and self-strength). Prolonged exposure therapy trials have demonstrated to lessen anxiety and improve global functioning (Eftekhari, Stines, & Zoellner, 2006). Based on various studies, prolonged exposure has also demonstrated clinically significant reductions in self-blame and negative cognitions about one’s self (Eftekhari, Stines, & Zoellner, 2006). Therefore, Charlie’s symptoms can able to diminish to the point where his will be able to have better attitudes, improved functionality, more control of his life and increased involvement in situations that normally he would try to avoid (Chivers-Wilson,

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