Treating complex PTSD when standard procedures are too difficult for the patient

In Complex PTSD symtoms related to the traumatic events are intertwined with aspects of personality disorders, social stress symptoms, attachment difficulties, but sometimes also borderline intellectual functioning. An important question to be asked is what is the impact of the cognitive problems in treatment, whether congenital or developed as a result of trauma? Most of the clinicians come across patients like these, but do they feel competent in treating them? Where to start? How to do a proper screening and assessment when regular questionnaires are too difficult? How to deal with all the comorbid problems that interfere with the proper treatment of the PTSD symptoms? Is it safe enough to process the PTSD symptoms right away? Or should one focus on training emotion regulation skills first? What role should the care system play during treatment? Erica Aldenkamp and Annemarie van den Brink will take the audience on a journey in this complicated but also very important area. Both are experienced in treating patients with complex PTSD with co morbid personality disorders who are functioning on a borderline intellectual level. In the workshop they will adress diagnostic issues, offer a treatment model in which treating PTSD symptoms and training emotion regulation skills are used at the same time. There will be time for interaction with the audience in the exchange of experiences.

Conference

English

Erica Aldenkamp
Annemarie van den Brink

Aldenkamp, E., & van den Brink, A. (2016, June). Treating complex PTSD when standard procedures are too difficult for the patient. Presentation at the at the 17th EMDR Europe Association Conference, The Hague