Military Sexual Trauma: Treatment Options Based on Context

Time: 1:00pm-4:00pm

Location: Virtual

Instructor: Lori R. Daniels, Ph.D., LCSW 

CE credits: 3 CE's (pending)

Course Description:

Appropriate treatment of sexual assault and/or harassment from a client’s active-duty military experience can be challenging for mental health providers. A one-size-fits-all intervention may not be the most appropriate intervention, given the complexity of issues or the timing within a client’s counseling journey. The context of a survivor’s experience and creating a collaborative counseling relationship are important variables to consider as therapists facilitate each survivor’s recovery process. This presentation will discuss the option of integrative psychotherapy techniques (including evidence to support multiple interventions) which allow for a client’s context to be taken into account and the building of rapport as a priority. If time, a case will also be presented illustrating the application of integrative methods. 

Learning Objectives:

At the end of this training participants will be able to:

1. State the risk factors with military sexual trauma vs. civilian sexual trauma incidences. 
2. Discuss the use of integrative psychotherapy methods for use among assault survivors with complex issues. 
3. Describe a model that allows assessment of a client’s traumatic event context, as well as healing context. 
4. Describe their own context as clinicians that may maximize their ability to work with sex assault survivors. 

References:

Holliday, R., Link-Malcolm, J., Morris, E. E., & Surís, A. (2014). Effects of cognitive processing therapy on PTSD-related negative cognitions in veterans with military sexual trauma. Military Medicine, 179(10), 1077-1082. DOI: 10.7205/MILMED-D-13-00309 

Parnitzke-Smith, C., & Freyd, J.J. (2014). The courage to study what we wish did not exist, Journal of Trauma & Dissociation, 15(5), 521-526. DOI:10.1080/15299732.2014.947910 

Payne, A., Liebling-Kalifani, H., & Joseph, S. (2007). Client-centred group therapy for survivors of interpersonal trauma: A pilot investigation. Counselling and Psychotherapy Research, 7(2), 100-105. DOI: 10.1080/14733140701343799 

Pinciotti, C. M., & Orcutt, H. K. (2018). Institutional betrayal: Who is most vulnerable? Journal of Interpersonal Violence. DOI: 10.1177/0886260518802850 

Smith, C. P., & Freyd, J. J. (2013). Dangerous safe havens: Institutional betrayal exacerbates sexual trauma. Journal of Traumatic Stress, 26(1), 119-124. DOI: 10.1002/jts.21778