Online training & practicum

How to set up your own (C)PTSD treatment and how to enhance the treatment?

Treating patients with (C)PTSD symptoms is quite difficult sometimes. Often there are so many traumatic events that one does not know where to start. Or every week something else seems to draw attention. Also, for many patients the road seems long, when only one session per week can be offered. Not only patients, but also therapists seek ways to intensify their treatment. Scientific research indicates it results in less drop-out from therapy and faster alleviation from symptoms.

It is important to set up a good treatment plan and to be able to address and discuss how to deal with dissociation, avoidance, self-harming behavior and suicidality for example. Also, it is important to have an understanding of what you are treating exactly. A clear goal, using the right diagnostic instruments, intensifying treatment and a well-defined plan in which there is a clear case-conceptualization will help to start and monitor treatment and stay on track.

Learning objectives: 

• Learn how to set up your own intensive trauma treatment program
• Learn how to do intensive trauma treatment online
• Be able to set up a treatment plan for treating (C)PTSD
• Learn how to do the target selection and how to integrate triggers and avoidance behavior in treatment
• Know which diagnostic instruments to use and be able to select how and when to measure symptoms
• Enhance treatment and know how to deliver several treatment components more efficiently (EMDR/ imaginal exposure) and have knowledge about other program components (exercise an psycho-education)

The training consists of several components (total duration 20 hours): 

• 6 online classes which can be watched as a VOD (12 hrs) – topics stated above
• 4 practicum sessions of 2 hrs. each (total 8 hrs) in which there will be time to discuss the online classes and to practice. Also cases will be discussed.
• • Practicum 1: Practicing with target selection and setting up the treatment plan
  • Practicum 2: Practicing with conducting the PTSD interview and learning about the gaps
  • Practicum 3: Practicing with enhancements in the treatment elements for in person or online treatment (imaginal exposure/EMDR)
  • Practicum 4: Practical issues in setting up your treatment

Participants will obtain: 

• A selection of handouts of the training
• A format of the treatment plan with instructions on how to fill in
• Information about several measurement tools
• A handout with specific instructions for optimizing imaginal exposure
• A handout with specific instructions for optimizing EMDR
• A handout with instructions for online trauma treatment

 Presenter: 

Suzy Matthijssen Ph.D. is a clinical psychologist-psychotherapist, senior researcher, cognitive behavioral therapist, psychotraumatherapist NtVP, NRGD registered pro justice reporter, EFT therapist and EMDR supervisor and is a lecturer at university and post-doctorate psychology specialization programs. She is also in the board of the Dutch EMDR association and in the scientific committee of EMDR Europe and the Dutch EMDR association. The focus of the research she conducts is on the optimization of trauma treatments. Suzy is part of the Council of Scholars and is the chair of the research working group. She works at the Altrecht Academic Anxiety Centre where she is head of an intensive trauma treatment program, head of research on anxiety, OCD and trauma and she is expert leader on PTSD. She is connected to Utrecht University.