Psychodynamic techniques elicit emotional engagement in complex post-traumatic stress disorder

Abstract

Therapies based on an exposure model have been shown to be effective in the treatment of uncomplicated Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), but less effective when used to treat Complex Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (CPTSD), because an essential first step in the exposure model is a patient’s emotional engagement with traumatic material. This engagement is prevented by a suppressive/dissociative reaction typical of CPTSD. Several methods of overcoming this suppressive/dissociative reaction have been investigated, but have proved impractical. Familiar psychodynamic techniques appear to circumvent the suppressive/dissociative response and elicit the required emotional engagement in standard clinical settings.