Description

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is maintained, in part, by avoidance of external stimuli that elicit trauma-related emotions, thoughts, and sensations. In vivo exposure involves directly confronting avoided stimuli in real life to facilitate new learning about the likelihood and severity of aversive outcomes. In vivo exposure is a core procedure of the DBT Prolonged Exposure protocol (DBT PE) for PTSD and is typically used to target avoidance of situations perceived as dangerous, trauma reminders, cues that elicit unjustified trauma-related shame, and activities avoided due to depression. However, in vivo exposures can take countless forms and, to be most effective, must be creatively tailored to the specific beliefs of each client. This webinar will go beyond the basics of in vivo exposure to discuss the finer points of how to effectively design and implement in vivo exposures for particular clients. In vivo exposure optimization strategies based on inhibitory learning theory will be discussed, such as expectancy violation, deepened extinction, occasional reinforced extinction, removal of safety signals, variability, and multiple contexts. Clinical examples will be used to illustrate how to apply in vivo exposure to a variety of avoided trauma-related situations and emotions to help clients get the most out of treatment.

Learning Objectives

As a result of this training, participants will be able to:

Explain the rationale for using in vivo exposure to treat PTSD.
Identify strategies for optimizing the effectiveness of in vivo exposures for PTSD.
Design innovative in vivo exposures for clients with PTSD.

Who Should Attend

This webinar is intended for mental health professionals and trainees with an interest in PTSD treatment.

Instructor

Melanie Harned, PhD, ABPP is a Psychologist and Coordinator of the DBT Program at the VA Puget Sound Health Care System as well as an Associate Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences and Adjunct Associate Professor in the Department of Psychology at the University of Washington. Dr. Harned has previously worked as the Research Director of Dr. Marsha Linehan’s Behavioral Research and Therapy Clinics at the University of Washington (2006-2018), Director of Research and Development for Behavioral Tech, LLC (2014-2017), and Director of Behavioral Tech Research, Inc. (2013-2016). Dr. Harned’s research focuses on the development and evaluation of the DBT Prolonged Exposure protocol for PTSD as well as methods of disseminating and implementing this and other evidence-based treatments into clinical practice. She regularly provides training and consultation nationally and internationally in DBT and DBT PE and has published numerous articles and book chapters on these treatments. She is a certified DBT therapist, a certified PE therapist and supervisor, is board certified in Behavioral and Cognitive therapy, and is licensed as a psychologist in the state of Washington.

Cost

Webinar Registration Fee (required):

Early Bird Discount: for registrations paid by November 1, 2025 - $45 per person
Standard Price: for registrations paid by December 11, 2025 - $55 per person

This fee covers the cost of the webinar, electronic copies of the materials, and 2 months of access to the webinar recording. The fee is the same for those who attend the live event and those who only intend to access the webinar recording.

Continuing Education Credits (optional for those who attend the live webinar):

1.5 CE credits are being offered by Triangle Area Psychology (TAP CE) - $10 per person

*NOTE: CE credits are not included in this registration and must be paid for separately on the TAP CE website: https://tapclinicnc.com/tapce/

Continuing Education Information

Continuing Education (CE) credits are being offered for this workshop by Triangle Area Psychology clinic Continuing Education (TAP CE: https://tapclinicnc.com/tapce/) as described below.

1.5 CE credits are being offered for this webinar for those who attend the live event in full. TAP is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. TAP maintains responsibility for this program and its content. Participants who miss more than 15 minutes of the training will not be eligible for CEs - partial CE credits will not be given. Participants are required to sign in online at the beginning and conclusion of the course and participate fully in the course, Q&A and any assessments given by the presenters. Questions about the CE credits for this event can be directed to tapce@tapclinicnc.com.

Contact the host of Developing Effective and Innovative In Vivo Exposures for PTSD