Join Rebecca Berman, LCSW, MLSP, CEDS-S, Clinical Director & Samantha Roller, BA, Exposure Coach, MSW Intern for a presentation on Navigating Fear with Compassion: Trauma-Informed Exposure Therapy
Anxiety may be defined as overestimating the severity of the consequences or danger of a situation, and underestimating one’s ability to cope with that perceived danger. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) posits that humans are resilient beings, that we can learn to manage our emotional lives, and that anxiety is treatable. Exposure Response Prevention (ERP) therapy, in conjunction with CBT, helps clients understand that their predictions of danger are likely inaccurate and that they can learn to tolerate distressing experiences. Additionally, when utilized appropriately, ERP and CBT can lead to new learning, emotional mastery, and sustainable change. While all clients can benefit from trauma-informed care, it is particularly important when working with clients with a history of trauma to minimize the risk of re-traumatization.
This presentation provides a review of the basics of exposure therapy before taking a deeper dive into understanding how to design exposures through a trauma-informed lens. Using case examples and experiential techniques, participants will learn how to develop exposures while attending to safety, peer support, collaboration and mutuality. Participants will also learn how to incorporate trustworthiness and transparency, empowerment and choice, and cultural, historical, and gender issues into their exposures. Through the trauma-informed lens, participants will learn how to identify when safety behaviors and accommodations are appropriate and when they are contraindicated.