Intensive Workshop in Prolonged Exposure Therapy for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

January 13-16, 2025

Co-sponsored by:  Philadelphia Behavior Therapy Association

Who may attend:  Licensed mental health professionals or those working under a licensed mental health professional. Because of the advanced nature of this workshop and the limited enrollment, participants should have prior experience treating trauma survivors.

Dates:       Monday, January 13, 2025 - Thursday, January 16, 2025 

Times:       9:00am to 5:00pm EST Monday-Wednesday

                   9:00am to 4:00pm EST Thursday

Cost:          $1500.00 USD per person. This fee covers the cost of workshop and supporting materials, which will include all slide handouts and assessment materials to be emailed to you prior to the workshop

Workshop Location: Zoom video conferencing platform (you will be sent an invitation with instructions prior to the workshop)

Workshop Description: Select CTSA faculty will provide intensive instruction in the use of Prolonged Exposure Therapy for survivors of trauma, covering the basics of all components of PE and how to modify PE procedures in order to tailor the treatment to the client’s response to exposure. Maintaining focus on treatment of PTSD while maintaining flexibility in following the manual will be emphasized. Lecture, discussion, videotaped therapy sessions, and participant role plays with feedback from faculty trainers are used to accomplish the goals of the workshop. 

This workshop is the pre-requisite for eligibility for Certification as a Prolonged Exposure Therapist. Beginning in January, 2025, save $1,000 when you bundle registration for this workshop and PE Therapist certification. Click here for more information.

At the end of this workshop, participants should be able to:

  • Describe the diagnosis and psychopathology of PTSD
  • Discuss emotional processing theory as it relates to Prolonged Exposure Therapy for PTSD
  • Discuss empirically-supported, psychotherapeutic treatments for chronic PTSD and the comparative efficacy of these treatment approaches
  • Explain how clients can be helped to emotionally engage in and process traumatic memories, with the aim of reducing trauma-related symptoms and difficulties
  • Implement psychoeducational treatment components of Prolonged Exposure Therapy for PTSD
  • Construct an in-vivo exposure hierarchy that includes a range of situations that safely and effectively promote learning while expanding the client’s world.
  • Implement in-vivo exposure to safe but avoided trauma reminders with patients
  • Help patients choose an appropriate index trauma to focus on in Prolonged Exposure Therapy for PTSD
  • Conduct imaginal exposure to memories of traumatic events
  • Choose hot spots with patients and implement hot spots procedures
  • Identify and address avoidance in PE sessions
  • Identify and address over- and under-engagement in imaginal exposure

 

Webinar workshop requirements:

You will be asked to affirm the previous conditions and your agreement to them prior to the commencement of the workshop.

 

If you are interested in and eligible for Continuing Education credits, read below:

THE PHILADELPHIA BEHAVIOR THERAPY ASSOCIATION (PBTA) IS APPROVED BY THE AMERICAN PSYCHOLOGICAL ASSOCIATION TO SPONSOR CONTINUING EDUCATION FOR PSYCHOLOGISTS.  PBTA MAINTAINS RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE PROGRAM AND ITS CONTENT.  THIS PRESENTATION PROVIDES TWENTY-FOUR (24) HOURS OF CE CREDITS FOR PSYCHOLOGISTS.

PBTA IS ALSO AN AUTHORIZED PROVIDER FOR CONTINUING EDUCATION CREDITS FOR PROFESSIONAL COUNSELORS, MARRIAGE AND FAMILY THERAPISTS, AND CLINICAL SOCIAL WORKERS LICENSED IN THE STATE OF PENNSYLVANIA - THIS PROGRAM PROVIDES TWENTY-FOUR (24) HOURS OF CE CREDITS. 

In order to receive continuing education credits, participants must:

  • attend each hour of the workshop (no late arrivals or early departures)
  • complete a post-test and course evaluation

If both of these requirements are met, you will receive a continuing education certificate after the conclusion of the workshop.

Instructions for Registration

Registrations are due one week in advance and must be completed in full. 

To register, complete the online registration.

If you need to withdraw your application for any reason, please email Dr. Sandy Capaldi. Note that workshop fees are non-refundable after the application due date (one week before the start of the workshop). 

 

About the Presenters (please note that all presenters may not be scheduled to teach in each workshop)

Nora Brier, Psy.D. is an Assistant Professor of Clinical Psychiatry at the Center for the Treatment and Study of Anxiety (CTSA) in the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. Dr. Brier received her M.S. and Psy.D. in Clinical Psychology at the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine in 2020 after completing her clinical internship at the VA in Hudson Valley, NY. Dr. Brier’s predoctoral clinical rotations included the PTSD/trauma and PTSD/DBT unit, as well as an outpatient anxiety rotation treating OCD, specific phobias, and social anxiety disorders. Clinically, Dr. Brier is certified in Prolonged Exposure (PE) for PTSD and Exposure and Response (Ritual) Prevention (EX/RP) for OCD and has extensive experience working with children, adolescents, and adults with OCD, PTSD, and comorbid anxiety and depressive disorders. Additionally, Dr. Brier has worked extensively with tic disorders, excoriation (skin picking), trichotillomania, and body dysmorphic disorders, and has extensive experience working with adolescents and adults with comorbid emotion regulation difficulties. Dr. Brier’s research interests include the intersection of PTSD and OCD in women, as well as the dissemination of evidence-based exposure therapy in the community. At the CTSA, Dr. Brier specializes in the treatment of PTSD, OCD, social anxiety, panic disorder, specific phobias, generalized anxiety disorder, excoriation disorder, and trichotillomania.  Dr. Brier has a deep interest in community-based dissemination of evidenced-based treatments for anxiety, specifically for diverse populations.

Lily Brown, Ph.D., is an Assistant Professor of Psychology in Psychiatry and Director at the Center for the Treatment and Study of Anxiety.  Dr. Brown received her Bachelors of Science Degree in Psychology at Drexel University and her Doctoral degree in Clinical Psychology and Learning and Behavior Psychology at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA).  In graduate school, Dr. Brown researched mechanisms of change in fear conditioning and extinction, with a particular focus on posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), in the Anxiety and Depression Research Center.  She completed her predoctoral internship at Brown University in the Psychosocial Research Department where she completed research on the rate of suicidal behaviors in patients with PTSD.   Dr. Brown’s current research focuses on treatment development and implementation to mitigate suicide risk in patients with anxiety disorders and PTSD.  She specializes in cognitive-behavior therapy for anxiety disorders, including Exposure and Response prevention (EX/RP) for obsessive compulsive disorder, and has been trained in the treatment of borderline personality disorder. 

Sophie Buinewicz, Ph.D., is an Assistant Professor of Clinical Psychiatry at the Center for the Treatment and Study of Anxiety (CTSA) in the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania.  Dr. Buinewicz received her B.A. from Dartmouth College with a major in Psychology and a minor in Mathematics.  She then worked as a post baccalaureate clinical research coordinator at the Center for Anxiety and Traumatic Stress Disorders at Massachusetts General Hospital on large-scale studies exploring the causes of and treatments for anxiety disorders in adults.  Dr. Buinewicz obtained her M.A. and Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from Temple University in 2021, which included completing her predoctoral internship at Montefiore Medical Center/Albert Einstein College of Medicine.  For the duration of her doctoral training, she was a member of Dr. Philip Kendall's Child and Adolescent Anxiety Disorders clinic, a psychotherapy and anxiety research lab and clinic.  She has experience implementing evidence-based practices with children, adolescents, adults, couples and families in a range of environments, including outpatient, hospital-based and primary care settings.  Dr. Buinewicz has a strong clinical and research background in anxiety disorders and exposure-based therapies.  Her research focuses on mechanisms of change in cognitive behavioral therapy, particularly in the exposure component of the therapy, and optimizing treatment for youth with anxiety disorders.  At the CTSA, Dr. Buinewicz specializes in the treatment of OCD, PTSD, anxiety disorders and OC-spectrum disorders.

Sandy Capaldi, Psy.D. is Assistant Professor of Clinical Psychiatry and Associate Director, Clinical Director, & Director of Implementation at the Center for the Treatment and Study of Anxiety (CTSA). Dr. Capaldi completed her undergraduate degree in psychology at Temple University and received a master of arts degree in clinical psychology at MCP Hahnemann University. She went on to receive a master of science degree and to complete her doctoral studies in clinical psychology at Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine. She is a licensed clinical psychologist who has a variety of clinical experiences with patient populations ranging from children to older adults and is certified by the CTSA as a PE Therapist, Consultant, and Trainer and as an Exposure and Response Prevention for OCD (Ex/RP) Therapist and Consultant. Dr. Capaldi also specializes in cognitive-behavioral treatment for trichotillomania, excoriation disorder, social anxiety, panic disorder, agoraphobia, specific phobias, generalized anxiety, and somatic symptom and related disorders.

Diane Dallal, Ph.D., is a postdoctoral fellow at the Center for the Treatment and Study of Anxiety (CTSA) in the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. Dr. Dallal received her B.A. in Psychology at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), where she later worked as a post-baccalaureate research coordinator at the UCLA Anxiety and Depression Research Center. She received her M.S. and Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology at Drexel University, which included completing her predoctoral internship at the VA Palo Alto Health Care System. In graduate school, Dr. Dallal researched mechanisms of change in cognitive behavioral and acceptance-based therapies for individuals with eating pathology and obesity. She has experience implementing evidence-based treatments with adults, adolescents, and couples in outpatient and intensive outpatient settings. At the CTSA, Dr. Dallal specializes in cognitive behavioral therapy for anxiety disorders and eating pathology, including Exposure and Response Prevention (EX/RP) for OCD, Prolonged Exposure (PE) for PTSD, and cognitive behavioral treatments for social anxiety, panic disorder, generalized anxiety, specific phobias, and eating disorders.

Elizabeth Turk-Karan, Ph.D., is the Director of Practicum and Internship Training at the CTSA. She received her bachelor's degree from the University of Pennsylvania, and her M.S. and Ph.D. from Rutgers University in 1993. After several years in private practice, she returned to the CTSA in order to be more involved in disseminating empirically-supported anxiety treatments. Dr. Turk-Karan has worked as an assessor and therapist on research studies of Panic Disorder, Social Phobia, Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder at the University of Pennsylvania, the Medical College of Pennsylvania/EPPI, and the University of Pittsburgh. She is a licensed clinical psychologist who has a variety of clinical experiences with patient populations ranging from children, adolescents, and adults. Dr. Turk-Karan specializes in Prolonged Exposure Therapy (PE) for PTSD, Exposure and Response Prevention (EX/RP) for OCD, and cognitive-behavioral treatment for social anxiety, panic disorder, specific phobias, and generalized anxiety.

Erica Weitz, PhD, is an Assistant Professor at the Center for the Treatment and Study of Anxiety (CTSA) in the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. She received her B.A. and M.A. from Tufts University majoring in developmental psychology. Dr. Weitz received her PhD in clinical psychology from Vrije Universiteit in Amsterdam, the Netherlands.  Upon returning to the US, Dr. Weitz completed clinical respecialization through the University of Pennsylvania Department of Psychology and completed an APA-certified clinical internship at Christiana Care Hospital in Newark, Delaware. Dr. Weitz’s research has focused on improving treatment personalization by leveraging individual patient characteristics to increase efficacy of evidence-based treatments for mood and anxiety disorders as well as meta-analytic research examining overall quality and efficacy of treatments for depression and anxiety. Her clinical training has spanned settings and methodologies with a large focus on implementing Cognitive-Behavioral Therapies (CBTs) to treat mood, anxiety, and trauma-related disorders in outpatient mental health, community behavioral health, and hospital-based settings as a health psychologist on multi-disciplinary teams.  Dr. Weitz has developed specific expertise in treating issues related to women’s health and the perinatal period including, but not limited to, treating perinatal OCD, birth-related PTSD, and anxiety and mood disorders. At the CTSA, Dr. Weitz specializes in cognitive behavioral therapy with a focus in exposure-based methods for the treatment of OCD, PTSD, and anxiety-related disorders. 

Additional Resources

Click for more information about Prolonged Exposure Therapy


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