Written Exposure Therapy (WET) is a brief, evidence-based treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) that has demonstrated outcomes comparable to longer trauma-focused therapies while requiring fewer sessions and exhibiting exceptionally low dropout rates. This three-hour continuing education seminar will provide clinicians with an overview of the theoretical foundations, empirical support, and practical implementation of WET across diverse clinical settings. Participants will review the treatment protocol session by session, discuss patient selection, common clinical challenges, and strategies for maintaining treatment fidelity. The seminar will also include case studies and outcome data collected from dozens of patients treated at RETA in Elkhart, illustrating the effectiveness, feasibility, and real-world application of WET in routine outpatient clinical practice.

Course Objectives

By the conclusion of this seminar, participants will be able to:

- Describe the theoretical foundations and empirical evidence supporting Written Exposure Therapy as an evidence-based treatment for PTSD.
- Identify appropriate patient selection criteria, contraindications, and clinical considerations when determining suitability for WET.
- Implement the five-session Written Exposure Therapy protocol, including session structure, therapist responsibilities, and methods for maintaining treatment fidelity.
- Evaluate common clinical challenges encountered during WET, including emotional engagement, avoidance, comorbid presentations, and treatment adherence, using evidence-based clinical strategies.
- Interpret clinical outcome data and case examples from RETA's implementation of WET to inform the integration of this intervention into routine behavioral health practice.