Understanding the Specific Individualized Features of Trauma: The Importance of In-Depth Trauma Screening Instruments

As with all effective treatment plans, good treatment begins with clear clinical understanding of the client’s presenting issues. Trauma presentation is individualized and unique from one person to another. With this, so are the trauma specific symptoms and presentation itself. The epidemiology of trauma is influenced by ancestry, early development and attachment, culture, family systems, environment, and the degree of compounding exposures all implicating the inner and outer world of the client.

This course provides the learner with detailed and practical explorations of current best practices in assessing and case formulation in working with adults having complex trauma survivors. The course explores the importance of the therapeutic relationship in the assessment process and reviewing formal, standardized screening instruments as well as informal assessments, interviews, and activities, while also applying a trauma-sensitive assessment process method. Participant will be able to summarize the collected trauma screening results, identifying target treatment areas for the development of an individualized (multimodal) treatment plan. This course will have an interactive learning component for incorporating all of the screening instruments for the development of a treatment plan and treatment summary report.