Part 1: Workshop on prolonged exposure therapy for PTSD (French) — 2024
The Atlas Institute is offering a two-part training on prolonged exposure (PE) therapy for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) to licensed/registered service providers working in mental health who care for Veterans or Veteran Families in Canada. The cost for this training is covered by the Atlas Institute for eligible service providers who register and are approved (see details in Training fees).
This two-part training includes:
- Part 1: Workshop on PE for PTSD (4 days)
- Part 2: Regular group consultations with an expert in PE (12 weeks; more info)
Continue reading to learn more about the workshop, including how to register!
About prolonged exposure therapy (PE)
Prolonged exposure (PE) therapy is an evidence-based therapy that is recommended as a first-line treatment for PTSD in international treatment guidelines, such as the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) Guideline (2018) and the American Psychological Association (APA) Clinical Practice Guidelines for the Treatment of PTSD (2017).
For more information about PE, please visit the website for the Center for the Treatment and Study of Anxiety at the University of Pennsylvania’s Perelman School of Medicine.
You can also visit our webpage developed for Veterans and their Families wanting to learn more about PE and what to expect during treatment.
Training fees
The Atlas Institute is covering the cost of the PE for PTSD workshop for approved registrants. There will be no cost to participants, subject to eligibility.
While we are covering the cost of the training, participants are required to purchase a copy of the PE therapist guide (available for purchase through Oxford University Press and other retailers).
Prolonged Exposure Therapy for PTSD: Emotional Processing of Traumatic Experiences
Second Edition
By Edna B. Foa, Elizabeth A. Hembree, Barbara Olasov Rothbaum and Sheila A.M. Rauch
ISBN 978-0-19-092693-9
Important note: This guide is only available in English. While the training will be delivered in French, the trainers will reference this guide for the training.
Registration
Please complete the online form to register for the workshop on PE therapy.
This opportunity is offered on a first-come, first-served basis. After you submit your registration form, you will be notified within 10 business days of your acceptance. Please do not make scheduling or other arrangements until you have received confirmation of your acceptance.
Registration for the group consultations will open after the workshop is complete. Visit the event page for more information on group consultations.
Workshop details
This workshop is endorsed by the Center for the Treatment and Study of Anxiety (CTSA) at the University of Pennsylvania’s Perelman School of Medicine. This four-day training is part of the certification process as a PE provider.
If you are selected to participate, you can expect to attend four days of training for eight hours each day.
Dates: October 7–10, 2024
Time: 8 a.m.–4 p.m., Eastern time
Delivery: Online via Zoom for Healthcare
Language: French
Participants must agree to the following terms and conditions prior to the workshop:
- You will inform the training organizers immediately if you no longer plan to attend the workshop. Failure to do so may affect eligibility for future trainings offered through the Atlas Institute.
- Your video camera will remain on during the entire workshop.
- No more than two hours of the four-day workshop can be missed.
- You are expected to maintain the professional environment for the workshop (e.g. ensure caregiving arrangements are in place for children).
- You will be present for the breakout sessions at the times outlined in the agenda.
- You will receive your certificate from the CTSA upon completion of the workshop evaluation.
In this workshop, you can expect to:
- Describe the diagnosis and psychopathology of PTSD
- Discuss emotional processing theory as it relates to PE 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 PE 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 clients
- Help clients choose an appropriate index trauma on which to focus in PE for PTSD
- Conduct imaginal exposure to memories of traumatic events
- Choose hot spots with clients and implement hot spots procedures in imaginal exposure
- Identify and address avoidance in PE sessions
- Identify and address over- and under-engagement in imaginal exposure
This workshop will be delivered via Zoom for Healthcare. You will receive an invitation with instructions prior to the workshop.
Please ensure that you have a stable Internet connection (broadband wired or wireless — 3G or 4G/LTE), speakers and microphone (built-in or USB plug-in or wireless Bluetooth). To ensure connectivity, please ensure your Zoom App is up-to-date. If you have an older version of Zoom, it may not be compatible. You can download the latest version here.
The maximum capacity for the workshop has increased to 24 participants. This will not impact the format or delivery of the workshop.
For this workshop, you will receive a certificate from the CTSA. Your certificate will become available to you after you have completed the workshop evaluation.
This four-day intensive workshop in PE conducted by CTSA certified trainers is part of the certification process as a PE provider. For more information on becoming a certified PE provider, please visit the CTSA website.
All times are listed in Eastern time.
Day 1 – October 7, 2024
| 8 –11:30 a.m. | Prolonged exposure therapy for PTSD
15-minute break: 9:30 to 9:45 a.m. |
| 11:30 a.m. –12:30 p.m. | 60-minute lunch |
| 12:30–2 p.m. | Overview of PE therapy
|
| 2–2:15 p.m. | 15-minute break |
| 2:15–3 p.m. | Prolonged exposure therapy program
Videos and discussions |
| 3–4 p.m. | In pairs, practice presenting the treatment (overview and rationale) |
Day 2 – October 8, 2024
| 8 –9 a.m. | Session 1: Trauma inventory and breathing training
Session 2: Psychoeducation |
| 9 –10 a.m. | Session 2: In vivo exposure
Videos and discussions |
| 10–10:15 a.m. | 15-minute break |
| 10:15–11:30 a.m. | In pairs, practice the rationale, the in vivo exposure procedure, and constructing the hierarchy |
| 11:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m. | 60-minute lunch |
| 12:30–2 p.m. | Session 3: Exposure to memories of the trauma
|
| 2–2:15 p.m. | 15-minute break |
| 2:15–4 p.m. | Videos and discussions
In pairs, practice presenting the rationale and the procedure for the “exposure to memories of the trauma” treatment |
Day 3 – October 9, 2024
| 8–9:45 a.m. | Anger, guilt, shame and grief
Video and discussions |
| 9:45–10 a.m. | 15-minute break |
| 10–11 a.m. | Sessions 4 and 5
Therapist self-care |
| 11 a.m.–12 p.m. | 60-minute lunch |
| 12–1:30 p.m. | Sessions 6 to 9: Hot Spots procedure for exposure to memories of the trauma
Video and discussions |
| 1:30–1:45 p.m. | 15-minute break |
| 1:45–4 p.m. | Session 10: Final session
Videos and discussions In pairs, practice the hot spots procedure and the final session |
Day 4 – October 10, 2024
| 8–9:30 a.m. | Factors that impair emotional engagement during exposure:
Avoidance
Videos and discussions |
| 9:30–9:45 a.m. | 15-minute break |
| 9:45–11:15 a.m. | Factors that impair emotional engagement during exposure:
An individual who doesn’t engage emotionally, or “under-engagement” Video and discussion |
| 11:15 a.m.–12:15 p.m. | 60-minute lunch |
| 12:15–1 p.m. | Factors that impair emotional engagement during exposure:
An individual who is too emotionally engaged, or “over-engagement” Videos and discussion |
| 1–1:45 p.m. | Special issues: maintaining focus on PTSD, homework compliance |
| 1:45–3 p.m. | Discussion period, Q&A
Certificate of participation |
About the trainers
Anne is a clinical social worker who provides psychotherapy to individuals diagnosed with a service-related operational stress injury (OSI), such as PTSD, depression, anxiety or a substance use disorder. She is in private practice and previously worked at the Royal Ottawa OSI Clinic for 13 years, specializing in the treatment of trauma related to military and policing. She has certification as a therapist, supervisor and trainer of Prolonged Exposure Therapy for PTSD.
Previously Anne worked for nine years in palliative care and hospice care, providing grief therapy to families dealing with a life threatening illness, as well as to those in bereavement.
She graduated with her Master of Social Work from McGill University in 2000.
Specializing in the assessment and treatment of mood and anxiety disorders, Dr. Jacques has developed expertise in post-traumatic stress disorder over the last few years. She has nearly 25 years of clinical experience in cognitive behavioural therapy, including over 15 years in military trauma and comorbid disorders associated with that problem. She holds three certificates from the prestigious Center for the Treatment and Study of Anxiety at the University of Pennsylvania – Dr. Edna Foa’s team – and is a clinician, supervisor and instructor for prolonged exposure treatment. She was also involved in writing the book Stratégies thérapeutiques des traumas and held a consulting position at the SAAQ. More recently, she co-authored a textbook, Santé mentale et psychopathologie, 3rd edition. Dr. Jacques is currently a psychologist at the CIUSSS de la Capitale-Nationale in Quebec City.
Eligibility requirements
This training is intended for licensed/registered service providers working in mental health who care for Veterans or Veteran Families in Canada.
Because of the advanced nature of this workshop and the limited enrolment, participants should have prior experience treating survivors of trauma. It is not intended for those with a general interest. Previous training and experience with cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT) is strongly recommended.
To be eligible, you must:
- Provide care to Veterans or Veteran Families (Veterans from the Canadian Armed Forces and former Royal Canadian Mounted Police [RCMP] members).
- You must have a Veteran in your current caseload.
- The insurance provider your client uses is not a determining factor for eligibility (e.g. Veterans can use their own private insurance or insurance through Veterans Affairs Canada).
- Service providers who only care for active military or RCMP members are not eligible. Clients that are transitioning out of the military but are still currently an active member do not count towards the Veteran eligibility requirement.
- Be a licensed/registered service provider working in mental health or a licensed/registered service provider in supervised practice working in mental health. For example: counsellor; marriage and Family therapist; nurse practitioner; occupational therapist; physician; psychiatrist; psychologist; psychotherapist; registered nurse; registered psychiatric nurse; social worker. If you do not see yourself in this list, please contact us to see if you’re eligible.
- Your licence must include psychotherapy in your scope of practice.
- Please note that regulatory bodies differ in each province and territory and the scope of practice for each profession may vary as a result.
- Have at least one active case or anticipate having an active case during the workshop.
- “Active cases” refers to having clients with PTSD for whom you are currently providing care.
- Be currently living and providing care in Canada.
- Be able to participate in the workshop in French.
We encourage applications from members of groups with historical and/or current barriers to equity. The Atlas Institute is attentive to the diversity of our network and invites you to self-identify during registration if you wish. Responses from applicants who self-identify during the registration process will only be shared with training organizers at the Atlas Institute. Groups include:
- First Nations, Métis and Inuit Peoples, and all other Indigenous Peoples
- Persons with visible and/or invisible (physical and/or mental) disabilities
- Member of a group(s) that commonly experience discrimination due to race, ancestry, colour, religion and/or spiritual beliefs, or place of origin
- Persons who identify as women
- Persons of marginalized sexual orientations, gender identities and gender expressions
The Atlas Institute is committed to providing an accessible environment for participants attending trainings. Part of this commitment includes offering supports such as Langue des signes québécoise (LSQ) interpreters or captionists during the training.
