Alternative Therapies for PTSD

PTSD is a disabling disorder that afflicts approximately 7% of the US population, and rates are significantly higher for people who have been assaulted, sexually abused, or who were military combatants.

Trauma sufferers and clinicians often have difficulty finding ways to overcome and treat PTSD; it can be remarkably resistant to traditional psychological treatments such as cognitive behavior and prolonged exposure therapies, because these interventions often involve directly confronting past trauma, which can produce extreme levels of anxiety. Many today are therefore seeking alternatives to the standard treatments.

This book summarizes what is known — as well as what is still unknown, or unproven — regarding the use and clinical effectiveness of non-traditional treatments for PTSD including mindfulness meditation, yoga, acupuncture, animal-assisted therapies, and MDMA-ecstasy. Includes clinical vignettes and insights derived from the author’s experience as both a mental health provider, and a military veteran suffering from PTSD.

Prologue

1. PTSD and Its Treatment
2. EMDR and PTSD
3. Yoga
4. Mindfulness Meditation Based Interventions
5. Exercise, Trauma, and Negative Emotional States
6. Nature and Animal Assisted Therapies
7. Acupuncture and PTSD
8. Emotional Freedom Technique
9. MDMA-Ecstasy
10. Conclusions
11. Resources for Trauma Sufferers and Clinician

Reference

Robert W. Motta is a professor of psychology and director of the doctoral program in school-community psychology at Hofstra University in New York. He is also director of Hofstra's Child and Family Trauma Institute. He formerly was chair of the psychology department.

Dr. Motta served in the U.S. Army’s First Air Cavalry Division during the Vietnam War. He is board certified in both cognitive-behavioral psychology and behavioral psychology, and has published more than 100 scientific papers, primarily in refereed psychology journals.

Dr. Motta is on the examining board of the American Board of Professional Psychology, is a licensed clinical psychologist, certified school psychologist, and past president and secretary treasurer of the School Psychology Division of the New York State Psychological Association.