Disorders Related to Trauma
Eating, Sleep, Trauma, and Somatic Symptom Disorders
Psychology of Disorders Related to Trauma, Anxiety, and Stress
Psychology of Substance Use, Depressive Disorders, and Trauma
PsycLearn Essentials
October 2025
Trauma can have profound, lasting effects on the mind and body. This course provides a comprehensive exploration of the short- and long-term consequences of trauma, focusing on three major psychological disorders rooted in traumatic experience: Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Acute Stress Disorder (ASD), and the Dissociative Disorders.
The course begins by laying a foundational understanding of trauma and stress. You will learn:
How psychologists define and categorize trauma, including distinctions between acute, chronic, and complex traumas, and Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs).
The physiological and psychological reactions of the body and mind to stress and trauma.
Why trauma affects individuals differently, exploring factors that contribute to both vulnerability and resilience.
The spectrum of potential outcomes including both negative effects and post-traumatic growth.
We will then delve into the specifics of PTSD and ASD. You will examine the similarities and differences between these conditions, including their diagnostic criteria and the various scientifically supported treatment approaches (e.g., Cognitive Processing Therapy, Prolonged Exposure).
Finally, the course addresses the fascinating and often misunderstood Dissociative Disorders. These involve a disruption in the integrated functions of consciousness, memory, identity, or perception. We will cover phenomena such as trauma-induced memory loss and the complex features of Dissociative Identity Disorder.
By the end of this course, you will be able to:
Differentiate stress from trauma and explain the varied ways psychologists conceptualize trauma.
Describe the physical and psychological consequences of stress and trauma.
Explain the pathology and treatments for PTSD and ASD.
Analyze the nature of dissociative disorders as a response to trauma.
Discuss factors that promote resilience and recovery after trauma.
Learning objectives
Explain how psychological disorders are diagnosed.
Discuss issues that arise when diagnosing people with a disorder.
Explain how psychologists think about trauma.
Describe the positive and negative outcomes that can occur after trauma.
Differentiate between acute stress disorder and posttraumatic stress disorder.
Differentiate the dissociative disorders from each other.
Explain how clinicians treat disorders of trauma.
Explain how psychological disorders are diagnosed.
Discuss issues that arise when diagnosing people with a disorder.
Explain how psychologists think about trauma.
Describe the positive and negative outcomes that can occur after trauma.
Differentiate between acute stress disorder and posttraumatic stress disorder.
Differentiate the dissociative disorders from each other.
Explain how clinicians treat disorders of trauma.
This program does not offer CE credit.
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More in the series
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