PTSD or not?
Differential Diagnosis following
Trauma Exposure
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Who is this for:
This workshop is intended for licensed mental health providers who are working with a diverse range of clients in a variety of settings.
Instructional Level:
Beginner to Intermediate
Why You’ll Love this Course:
All clinicians will encounter clients with trauma exposure at some point in their careers. This course will provide clinicians with all of the necessary language and tools to feel confident, empowered and attune to their clients when inquiring about sensitive and painful experiences.
Course description:
Course description:
The majority of individuals will be exposed to at least one traumatic event at some point during their lives. While exposure to trauma is very common, the ways in which individuals may be impacted vary widely. Given that many therapy clients may have a history of trauma exposure, the strategic and skillful differential assessment of post-trauma symptoms is a bedrock of effective treatment planning and appropriate therapy selection. This course provides essential tools for sensitive, empathic and efficient evaluation of trauma-related symptoms and difficulties.
This course outlines some of the most common clinical sequelae and symptoms that can follow trauma exposure, and clarifies the edges of different diagnoses and symptoms to facilitate the development of an accurate clinical picture. Clinical vignettes and examples will be used to illustrate how to discern between diagnoses in complex cases. In addition, this course provides recommendations for standardized assessment tools with robust psychometric properties that will enhance and facilitate clinical interviewing.
This course outlines some of the most common clinical sequelae and symptoms that can follow trauma exposure, and clarifies the edges of different diagnoses and symptoms to facilitate the development of an accurate clinical picture. Clinical vignettes and examples will be used to illustrate how to discern between diagnoses in complex cases. In addition, this course provides recommendations for standardized assessment tools with robust psychometric properties that will enhance and facilitate clinical interviewing.
Featuring:
- Skill demonstration of how to pair gold-standard assessment measures with clarifying questions for effective differential diagnoses
- Case vignettes to illustrate diagnostic overlap and to differentiate between PTSD and other mental health concerns
- Case vignettes coupled with skill demonstration of socratic questions to aid differential diagnosis
- “PTSD or not? Differential Diagnosis following Trauma Exposure Additional Resources” Handout
Educational Objectives:
By the end of this course, participants will be able to:
- Utilize sensitivity, empathy, and appropriate pacing while engaging in efficient and thorough evaluation of trauma-related symptoms.
- Apply at least two effective and well-validated clinical measures to assist in evaluation of post-trauma clinical symptoms.
- Differentiate between at least 5 common post-trauma mental health diagnoses.
Stephanie Sacks, Ph.D.
Stephanie Sacks, Ph.D. is a co-founder and the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of MindScience Collective. She is a licensed clinical psychologist (FL PY10014, DC PSY1001172) who is passionate about teaching, training, clinical work, entrepreneurship and the dissemination of evidence-based information to the masses.
In her private practice, Dr. Sacks specializes in the provision of evidence-based cognitive behavioral treatment for Trauma and Stressor-Related Disorders, OCD-Spectrum Disorders and Anxiety Disorders, with particular expertise providing care to clinically complex clients. She has a sub-specialty working with journalists who are exposed to occupational trauma and has received training from the Global Center for Journalism and Trauma.
She is a National Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT) for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Trainer and Clinical Consultant. She is also an invited lecturer and clinical consultant for many organizations, including the National Center for PTSD. Dr. Sacks is the creator of the Trauma Therapist Training Course, an interactive cohort-based learning experience that enhances therapists’ competence and confidence for working with trauma-affected clients.
She is an Adjunct Professor at Nova Southeastern University and a voluntary Clinical Adjunct Professor at the University of Southern California. She has proudly served as clinical and research supervisor at a number of academic and medical institutions. Dr. Sacks has authored numerous peer-reviewed research articles and contributed to a book entitled Cognitive Processing Therapy for Complex Cases.
In her private practice, Dr. Sacks specializes in the provision of evidence-based cognitive behavioral treatment for Trauma and Stressor-Related Disorders, OCD-Spectrum Disorders and Anxiety Disorders, with particular expertise providing care to clinically complex clients. She has a sub-specialty working with journalists who are exposed to occupational trauma and has received training from the Global Center for Journalism and Trauma.
She is a National Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT) for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Trainer and Clinical Consultant. She is also an invited lecturer and clinical consultant for many organizations, including the National Center for PTSD. Dr. Sacks is the creator of the Trauma Therapist Training Course, an interactive cohort-based learning experience that enhances therapists’ competence and confidence for working with trauma-affected clients.
She is an Adjunct Professor at Nova Southeastern University and a voluntary Clinical Adjunct Professor at the University of Southern California. She has proudly served as clinical and research supervisor at a number of academic and medical institutions. Dr. Sacks has authored numerous peer-reviewed research articles and contributed to a book entitled Cognitive Processing Therapy for Complex Cases.
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“MindScience Collective is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. MindScience Collective is recognized by the New York State Education Department’s State Board for Psychology as an approved provider of continuing education for Licensed Psychologists (#PSY-0312). MindScience Collective maintains responsibility for this program and its content.“
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