Prolonged exposure therapy has a high success rate in alleviating symptoms of post traumatic stress disorder. It was developed by Dr. Edna Foa, who was named one of Time Magazine’s “Most Influential People in the World” in May 2010, and credited for her pioneering work in establishing one of the most effective modern treatments for trauma.

This approach works by "discussing frightening thoughts, breathing retraining, confronting safe situations, and/or by revisiting and recounting painful memories in order to process them and reduce their emotional impact." 1 It involves learning how to decrease the anxiety we carry from traumatic experiences, and then using specialized exposure techniques to desensitize to triggers that activate this anxiety as well as the memories themselves.

I was lucky enough to be trained in prolonged exposure therapy by Dr. Foa herself, and would be happy to answer any questions about this treatment, how it works, and whether it may be helpful to you.

1. Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (n.d.) Retrieved July 13th, 2013 from http://www.med.upenn.edu/ctsa/ptsd_treatment_ctsa.html