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Reclaiming Your Life From A Traumatic Experience (Second Edition): Workbook

Prolonged Exposure Therapy For PTSD comes in two volumes. This page is for the Client Workbook. Click on the following link to access the accompanying Therapist Guide

Prolonged Exposure (PE) is a first-line treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), recommended by the American Psychiatric Association (APA) and the UK National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE). The Reclaiming Your Life From A Traumatic Experience: Workbook (Second Edition) is written by Edna Foa, Elizabeth Hembree, Barbara Rothbaum and Sheila Rauch and provides therapists with all the tools they need to deliver effective, evidence-based psychological treatment for PTSD. Part of the Treatments That Work series, it provides therapists with a background to the foundations of prolonged exposure as well as step-by-step instructions for guiding clients through key interventions and teaching them the skills they need to overcome PTSD.

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Notice: The 'Fillable PDF' format has been retired. For resources with form elements, both the 'Professional' and 'Client' versions are now available as fillable PDFs by default.

Chapter 1: Introduction

Chapter 2: Is This Program Right for You?

Chapter 3: Session 1

Chapter 4: Session 2

Chapter 5: Session 3

Chapter 6: Anticipating and Solving Problems

Chapter 7: Intermediate Sessions – Session 4 to the End of Treatment

Chapter 8: Final Session

About the Authors

Front Matter

Forms & Worksheets: Fillable PDF

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Languages this resource is available in

  • English (GB)
  • English (US)

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Introduction & Theoretical Background

Traumatic events occur frequently, with up to 60% of the US population exposed to at least one traumatic event in their lifetime (Kessler et al, 1995). The National Comorbidity Survey (2005) found lifetime rates of PTSD in the general US population of 3.6% for men and 9.7% for women. 

Prolonged Exposure (PE) emerged from the adaptation and extension of Emotional Processing Theory (EPT) to PTSD. The overall aim of the treatment is to help trauma survivors to emotionally process their traumatic experiences to diminish or eliminate PTSD and other trauma-related symptoms. PE has been tested in hundreds of efficacy studies which have demonstrated that PE is highly effective at ameliorating the symptoms of PTSD, depression, anxiety, guilt, and suicidal behavior. 

Prolonged Exposure Therapy For PTSD is a comprehensive program to assist clinicians in delivering effective PE for PTSD. The program includes two books:

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Therapist Guidance

Each Treatments That Work® title is published as part of a pair:

  • Clients use the Workbooks which contain elements of psychoeducation, skills development, self-assessment quizzes, homework exercises, and record forms.
  • Therapists use the Therapist Guides which contain step-by-step instructions for teaching clients skills and overcoming common difficulties.

Although written for the client, the exercises in the workbook are intended to be carried out under the supervision of a mental health professional. The authors suggest that the most effective implementation of these exercises requires an understanding of the principles underlying the different procedures, and that mental health professionals should be familiar with both the Prolonged Exposure Therapy for PTSD: Therapist Guide and this workbook. 

Therapists with an active subscription to a Psychology Tools ‘Complete’ plan are licensed to use Treatments That Work® titles, and to download and share chapters with their clients.

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References And Further Reading

  • Cusack, K., Jonas, D. E., Forneris, C. A., Wines, C., Sonis, J., Middleton, J. C., . . . Gaynes, B. N. (2016). Psychological treatments for adults with posttraumatic stress disorder: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Clinical Psychology Review, 43, 128–141.
  • Kessler, R. C., Sonnega, A., Bromet, E., Hughes, M., & Nelson, C. B. (1995). Posttraumatic stress disorder in the National Comorbidity Survey. Archives of General Psychiatry, 52, 1048–1060.
  • Lee, D. J., Schnitzlein, C. W., Wolf, J. P., Vythilingam, M., Rasmusson, A. M., & Hoge, C. W. (2016). Psychotherapy versus pharmacotherapy for posttraumatuc stress disorder: Systematic review and meta-analysis to determine first-line treatments. Depression and Anxiety, 33(9), 792– 806.
  • Resick, P. A., Pallavi, N., Weaver, T. L., Astin, M. C., & Feuer, C. A. (2002). A comparison of cognitive-processing therapy with prolonged exposure and a waiting condition for the treatment of chronic posttraumatic stress disorder in female rape victims. Journal

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