Case Example 3

Exposure therapy is one of the treatment strategies identified as being effective in treating posttraumatic stress disorder. However, conducting exposure therapy with a survivor of sexual assault requires clinicians to be skilled in how to conduct imaginal exposure to ensure that the survivor includes sufficient detail for the exposure to be effective. This chapter contains a case example in which a clinician works with a client to begin imaginal exposure therapy for posttraumatic stress disorder secondary to a sexual assault. This chapter provides recommendations to help clinicians elicit more details about the sexual assault and encourage the client to use sexual terminology while recounting their memory of the traumatic event.