ABSTRACT
The change in diagnostic terms and shift away from a diagnosis of eating disorders to CPTSD have opened up the way for better and more effective forms of treatment. Over the past decade, numerous treatment models meeting the needs of the new diagnosis have been proposed in the field of psychotherapy. This chapter surveys the main principles of CPTSD treatment models. The complexity of treating clients suffering from CPTSD requires that therapists be open to and willing to adopt multiple treatment models. The plan must be tailored to each individual client and her capacities, being flexible and capable of changing in accordance with her needs. Based on a systematic approach employing effective therapeutic practices, treatment must be organized around cautious assessment of the client and follow a series of well-thought out, graduated stages. The importance of interpersonal elements highlights the need for a positive therapeutic relationship, a caring, empathic psychotherapist, and attention to the ebb and flow of the therapy session – including client-therapist attunement and connection, transference, and countertransference, boundary negotiations, and attachment-level response. The chapter suggests ways to cope with vicarious trauma, deal with the complex challenges CPTSD clients pose, and help them engage responsibly with their clients’ transferences and their own countertransferences.
