Supporting Clients with Complex Trauma - Understanding and Managing PTSD and TBI

Do you work with veterans or others suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and Traumatic Brain Injury? Then this in-depth, full-day session is for you.

Anyone can get PTSD at any age. This includes war veterans and survivors of physical and sexual assault, abuse, accidents, disasters, and many other serious events. Traumatic Brain Injury will almost certainly result in PTSD. But not everyone with PTSD has been through a dangerous event. Some people get PTSD after a friend or family member experiences danger or is harmed. The sudden, unexpected death of a loved one can also cause PTSD.

Our understanding of complex trauma and how to treat it has expanded over the last decade. No two people have the same reaction to a traumatic experience. And many experience a loss of connection with themselves, their bodies, and others as they process what has happened to them or others. Trauma-informed clinical approaches equip behavioral health service providers with strategies and tools to better engage those affected by complex trauma. This workshop will focus on understanding how a person who has experienced complex trauma responds to and deciphers information and can be triggered. This workshop will define the DSM-5 diagnoses that fall under “Trauma and Stressor-Related Disorders,” unpack complex trauma, and discuss evidence-based treatment modalities, practices, and tools for treating complex trauma.

Objective: Participants in this workshop will be able to:

• Discuss the DSM-5 diagnostic criteria for Trauma and Stressor-Related Disorders
• Describe the influence of traumatic brain injury on PTSD, treatment, and recovery
• Explore the many facets of PTSD
• Articulate at least three evidence-based treatment and practices useful for trauma-informed, trauma-sensitive care

Presenter: Dr. Mita Johnson

Dr. Johnson has degrees in biology, counseling and counselor education and supervision. She has been a counselor for 30 years, consultant for 20 years, clinical supervisor for 15 years and higher learning educator for 10 years. She holds several credentials including licensed professional counselor, licensed marriage and family therapist, licensed addiction counselor, master addiction counselor, and certified telemental health professional. Dr. Johnson is a core faculty member at Walden University’s School of Counseling MS program. She teaches, trains, and speaks nationally and internationally on numerous topics including ethics, diagnosis, psychopharmacology, and substance use disorders. Dr. Johnson is the President-Elect and Ethics Chair of NAADAC. She is passionate about understanding how psychopharmaceuticals and illicit substances influence the body systemically.

Eligible for 3 hours Certificate of Completion