This is the third in a series of posts triggered by Nick Grey's workshop on memory-focused approaches in CBT for adults with PTSD.  In the second post yesterday, I wrote about " ... treatment structure".  In today's post I want to step back for a moment and get a broader perspective.  These trauma-focused treatments have much wider applicability than just for DSM-IV-TR congruent, single episode traumas, and it's this wider applicability that's a major reason for me doing this workshop.

Yesterday I wrote an introductory post on this "Memory-focused approaches ...

I've just arrived from Scotland off the sleeper for the two days of the British Association for Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapies (BABCP) Spring Workshops and Conference. Today it's workshops and we have a choice of five. I'm going to Nick Grey's on "Memory-focused approaches in cognitive therapy for adults with PTSD" . The publicity reads:

"Guidelines from around the world for the treatment of PTSD in adults recommend trauma-focused CBT as a first line treatment. In essence ‘trauma-focused’ means placing an emphasis on discussing the details of the traumatic memories. This can be emotionally demanding for both patient and therapist. Despite the treatment guidelines many therapists still do not use ‘trauma-focused’, i.e. memory-focused, approaches.

I've already written a series of seven blog posts on this year's BABCP conference.  What are the key points I want to take away? I think they centre around four areas. Most important for me is what's been triggered by Michael Lambert's presentation on "Supershrinks and pseudoshrinks" . Secondly, a major theme (more so than at any other conference I've been to) was couple therapy. I spent a lot of time listening to a whole series of couples experts - what do I want to do with this information now? Thirdly there are the implications from the Dodo bird panel on depression treatments. Lastly there's a bits and bobs category.

Taking these in reverse order:

Yesterday I wrote about the first morning of this year's BABCP conference and the plenary lecture - " ...