Treating Complex Traumatic Stress Disorders in Children and Adolescents: Scientific Foundations and Therapeutic Models

With contributions from prominent experts, this pragmatic book takes a close look at the nature of complex psychological trauma in children and adolescents and the clinical challenges it presents. Each chapter shows how a complex trauma perspective can provide an invaluable unifying framework for case conceptualization, assessment, and intervention amidst the chaos and turmoil of these young patients' lives. A range of evidence-based and promising therapies are reviewed and illustrated with vivid case vignettes. The volume is grounded in clinical innovations and cutting-edge research on child and adolescent brain development, attachment, and emotion regulation, and discusses diagnostic criteria, including those from DSM-IV and DSM-5.

About the Author:

Julian D. Ford, PhD, ABPP, a clinical psychologist, is Professor of Psychiatry, Psychology, and Law at the University of Connecticut, where he is also Director of the Center for Trauma Recovery and Juvenile Justice. He has served on the Steering Committee of the National Child Traumatic Stress Network, as Associate Editor of the Journal of Trauma and Dissociation and the European Journal of Psychotraumatology, as Co-Chair of the Presidential Task Force on Child Trauma for Division 56 (Trauma Psychology) of the American Psychological Association (APA), and as a board member and Vice President of the International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies (ISTSS). With Christine A. Courtois, Dr. Ford is a recipient of the Print Media Award from the International Society for the Study of Trauma and Dissociation (ISSTD) for their coedited volume on treating complex traumatic stress disorders in adults; he has also published several other books on trauma-related topics. Dr. Ford developed and conducts research on the Trauma Affect Regulation: Guide for Education and Therapy (TARGET) psychosocial intervention for adolescents, adults, and families.

Christine A. Courtois, PhD, ABPP, a board-certified counseling psychologist, is retired from private practice in Washington, DC, and is a consultant/trainer on topics on trauma psychology and treatment. She cofounded and then served for 16 years as Clinical and Training Director of The CENTER: Posttraumatic Disorders Program, in Washington, DC. Dr. Courtois was chair of the Clinical Practice Guideline for the Treatment of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder in Adults for the American Psychological Association (APA), released in 2017, and for guidelines on the treatment of complex trauma for several professional organizations. She has published a number of books (four of them coedited or coauthored with Julian Ford) and numerous book chapters and articles on trauma-related topics. Dr. Courtois is past president of APA Division 56 (Trauma Psychology) and past founding Associate Editor of the Division's journal, Psychological Trauma: Theory, Research, Practice, and Policy. She served two terms on the Board of Directors of the International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies (ISTSS). She has received the Award for Distinguished Contributions to Independent Practice from the APA, the Sarah Haley Award for Clinical Excellence from ISTSS, and, most recently, the Award for Distinguished Service and Contributions to the Profession of Psychology from the American Board of Professional Psychology.