Post Traumatic Stress Disorder Course

Lesson 1 • PTSD Diagnostic Criteria and Clusters

Presents the four symptom clusters used in current diagnostic standards. Enables accurate identification and differentiation from overlapping conditions.

Lesson 2 • PTSD Across the Lifespan

Examines how PTSD presents differently in children, adolescents, adults, and older adults. Prepares clinicians to adapt assessment and intervention by developmental stage.

Lesson 3 • Prevalence, Risk, and Protective Factors

Reviews epidemiological data on PTSD incidence and identifies variables that increase or buffer risk. Grounds clinical decision-making in population-level evidence.

Lesson 4 • Neurobiological Basis of Trauma

Explains how trauma alters brain structure and stress-response systems. Provides the physiological rationale for PTSD symptoms and treatment targets.

Lesson 1 • Trauma-Informed Organisational Practice

Scales trauma-informed principles from individual clinicians to entire organisations. Prepares practitioners to advocate for systemic change in their workplaces.

Lesson 2 • Core Pillars of Trauma-Informed Care

Defines the six foundational principles—safety, trustworthiness, peer support, collaboration, empowerment, and cultural sensitivity. Establishes the ethical backbone of all subsequent interventions.

Lesson 3 • Avoiding Re-Traumatisation in Systems

Identifies institutional practices that inadvertently harm trauma survivors. Teaches structural modifications that reduce systemic re-traumatisation.

Lesson 4 • Cultural Humility in Trauma Care

Examines how culture shapes trauma expression, help-seeking, and healing. Equips clinicians to adapt care without imposing culturally incongruent frameworks.

Lesson 1 • Principles of Trauma-Sensitive Interviewing

Establishes ethical and relational guidelines for gathering trauma histories. Reduces re-traumatisation risk while maximising the accuracy of clinical information.

Lesson 2 • Differential Diagnosis and Comorbidities

Addresses conditions that mimic or co-occur with PTSD, including depression, anxiety, and substance use. Ensures accurate case conceptualisation before treatment begins.

Lesson 3 • Structured and Semi-Structured Interviews

Introduces gold-standard diagnostic interviews used in clinical and research settings. Teaches administration protocols and scoring interpretation.

Lesson 4 • Functional Impairment and Safety Assessment

Evaluates occupational, social, and safety domains affected by PTSD. Produces a complete clinical picture needed for individualised treatment planning.

Lesson 1 • Psychoeducation About PTSD

Teaches clinicians to deliver accurate, accessible PTSD education to clients and families. Psychoeducation reduces shame, increases engagement, and sets realistic treatment expectations.

Lesson 2 • Grounding Techniques

Introduces sensory and cognitive grounding methods to interrupt dissociation and flashbacks. Grounds clients in the present moment as a prerequisite for trauma processing.

Lesson 3 • Affect Regulation Skills

Covers evidence-based techniques for identifying, tolerating, and modulating intense emotions. Builds the emotional capacity clients need to engage in trauma-focused therapy.

Lesson 4 • Building Internal and External Resources

Guides clients in identifying internal strengths and external supports that buffer trauma symptoms. Resource-building directly enhances readiness for trauma-focused interventions.

Lesson 1 • Trauma-Focused CBT for Special Populations

Adapts core CBT principles for children, adolescents, and families affected by trauma. Ensures treatment fidelity while accommodating developmental and relational needs.

Lesson 2 • Cognitive Processing Therapy

Covers the theory, protocol structure, and core techniques of CPT for PTSD. Teaches clinicians to identify and restructure stuck points that maintain trauma-related beliefs.

Lesson 3 • Prolonged Exposure Therapy

Presents the rationale and protocol for imaginal and in vivo exposure to trauma cues. Teaches clinicians to construct fear hierarchies and manage within-session distress.

Lesson 4 • EMDR Therapy Fundamentals

Introduces the eight-phase EMDR protocol and the adaptive information processing model. Prepares clinicians for foundational EMDR practice before advanced specialisation.

Lesson 1 • Survivors of Interpersonal Violence

Focuses on trauma from domestic violence, sexual assault, and childhood abuse. Addresses power dynamics, shame, and safety considerations unique to interpersonal trauma.

Lesson 2 • Phase-Based Treatment for Complex PTSD

Presents the stabilisation-processing-integration model for complex PTSD treatment. Teaches clinicians to pace treatment phases according to client window-of-tolerance capacity.

Lesson 3 • Understanding Complex PTSD

Distinguishes complex PTSD from standard PTSD using current diagnostic frameworks. Covers the additional domains of self-organisation disturbance central to complex presentations.

Lesson 4 • Military Veterans and First Responders

Addresses the unique trauma exposures, cultural norms, and barriers to care in military and emergency service populations. Adapts engagement and treatment strategies accordingly.

Lesson 1 • Neurochemical Targets in PTSD

Links PTSD neurobiology from Chapter 1 to specific pharmacological targets. Establishes the scientific rationale for medication selection in PTSD treatment.

Lesson 2 • Medication and Psychotherapy Integration

Addresses how pharmacotherapy and evidence-based psychotherapy interact and complement each other. Prepares non-prescribing clinicians to coordinate care within interdisciplinary teams.

Lesson 3 • First-Line Pharmacological Treatments

Reviews antidepressants with the strongest evidence base for PTSD symptom reduction. Covers dosing principles, onset timelines, and expected symptom response.

Lesson 1 • Therapeutic Termination Process

Guides clinicians through a structured, trauma-sensitive termination process. Addresses attachment-related termination reactions common in trauma survivors.

Lesson 2 • Defining and Achieving Remission

Clarifies the distinction between response, remission, and recovery in PTSD outcomes. Sets realistic endpoint criteria for treatment planning and termination decisions.

Lesson 3 • Relapse Prevention Planning

Teaches clients to identify early warning signs and activate coping strategies before full relapse. Builds a personalised maintenance plan as a core termination deliverable.

Lesson 4 • Long-Term Recovery and Post-Traumatic Growth

Explores the trajectory of long-term PTSD recovery and the potential for post-traumatic growth. Equips clinicians to support meaning-making and identity reconstruction after trauma.