Three Cognitive-Behavioural Protocols for the Treatment of Adult PTSD
This online continuing education course gives psychologists and psychotherapists a complete, practice-ready mastery of the three most strongly evidence-based cognitive-behavioural protocols for adult post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD): Prolonged Exposure (PE), Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT), and Cognitive Therapy for PTSD (CT-PTSD). Recommended as first-line treatments by the APA, NICE, and the WHO, these three approaches share a common foundation yet rest on distinct theoretical models — and knowing all three lets you match the right protocol to the patient in front of you.
The course begins with the essentials: the neurobiology of trauma, the DSM-5-TR and ICD-11 definitions of PTSD and Complex PTSD, and standardised assessment with validated instruments such as the PCL-5, CAPS-5, and ITQ. From there, you move into the concrete, session-by-session delivery of each protocol — building the in vivo exposure hierarchy, conducting imaginal exposure and working with hot spots, restructuring stuck points, and updating the appraisals that keep trauma alive. Throughout, you will learn to assess indications and contraindications, manage dissociation and comorbidities, work safely with Complex PTSD, and handle the clinical obstacles that arise in real practice.
Designed for clinicians who want more than theory, every module pairs clear conceptual grounding with the precise instructions, therapeutic stances, and verbatim phrasings you can use in your very next session.
Learning objectives
- Define PTSD and Complex PTSD using current DSM-5-TR and ICD-11 criteria.
- Assess trauma with validated tools and establish clear treatment indications.
- Deliver PE, CPT, and CT-PTSD step by step in clinical practice.
- Select the most appropriate protocol for each patient's presentation.
- Prepare patients, build the therapeutic alliance, and manage common obstacles.
Fully online, self-paced, and asynchronous — learn at your own rhythm, wherever you practise.