Responses to Trauma, Neglect and Abuse

Description:  This class presents some current issues surrounding problems in response to trauma, neglect, and abuse such as PTSD as well as other related symptoms.  We will consider neurological aspects of the response to trauma, neglect, and abuse by reviewing some current literature on the neurobiological impacts. You will learn some of the current thinking about stress responses of dissociation, somatization, and affect dysregulation. There are remarkable differences in stress response between gender and age as well as risk factors that greatly impact the potentiality of co-morbid disorders and even the onset of PTSD. The DSM5 criteria will be described and discussed. Regarding the impact of violence on children, we will include a discussion about how states become traits, particularly with respect to the hyper-arousal and dissociative responses to trauma. Participants will come away from this presentation with more skill in differentiating between PTSD and other disorders such as phobic or adjustment disorders.

CE Credits: 6

CE Broker #:   20-28713

Methods: Pre-test, study guide, posttest and evaluation, internet sources via URLs, Q&A by email.

Content Area; Domestic violence, Abuse and trauma, Social and cultural foundations, Applications to practice, Counseling, Behavior disorders, Co-existing conditions.

Purpose: Practitioners completing this course should be better equipped to assess and provide intervention to individuals affected by trauma in childhood. Practitioners working with adolescents and young adults will be better equipped to select intervention methodologies that may produce improved outcomes.

Target Audience: Social workers, marriage and family therapists, licensed professional counselors, mental health counselors, nurses, employee assistance professionals, addiction professionals, behavioral health technicians, and other allied professionals who may work with these populations.