Assessing Trauma Survivors and Implementing PE in Practice

The authors begin this chapter by looking at who a good candidate for prolonged exposure (PE) therapy is; not every trauma survivor needs a trauma-focused treatment like PE. It is important to have as part of the assessment process or prior to start of PE, one or two preparation sessions that include reviewing the reasons that the client wants to recover from his trauma-related difficulties that may enhance treatment outcome and retention. This material is followed by the presentation of guidelines for the assessment of trauma survivors with whom a therapist is considering using this therapy. The chapter continues with a discussion of some important considerations in using PE with trauma survivors. Finally, the chapter concludes with recommendations for assessing and supporting a patient’s engagement in treatment.