The Cognitive Behavioral Coping Skills Workbook for PTSD: Overcome Fear and Anxiety and Reclaim Your Life

Written by a team of experts in the treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), this workbook offers powerful, symptom-specific skills from a variety of empirically supported cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) treatments, including acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), and—for the first time—cognitive processing therapy (CPT).

PTSD is a debilitating condition that can leave you feeling numb, irritable, on guard, and distant. You may experience flashbacks and traumatic memories, suffer with sleep difficulties and nightmares, and struggle to manage intense emotions, impulses, and the desire to avoid closeness. But there has been rapid growth in the research and treatment of PTSD. This book combines the very best in proven-effective treatments to address specific symptoms, from the least disruptive to the most severe.

Presenting tools drawn from a number of approaches and treatment models—such as ACT, DBT, mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT), exposure treatment, behavioral activation, imagery rehearsal therapy, and a highly effective, twelve-session cognitive processing therapy (CPT) program, The Cognitive Behavioral Coping Skills Workbook for PTSD can help you overcome the most common and most difficult challenges people with PTSD face.

This practical guide is loaded with research-based skills from the most effective PTSD treatments available to help you manage your symptoms, reclaim your well-being, and maintain your recovery.

Matthew T. Tull, PhD, is professor in the department of psychology at the University of Toledo, OH. Tull is director of the Personality and Emotion Research and Treatment laboratory, where he conducts research on the role of emotion dysregulation in the development and maintenance of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), as well as the unhealthy behaviors that are often observed in PTSD, such as substance abuse, risky behaviors, and suicidal and non-suicidal self-injury. Tull has authored over 135 peer-reviewed articles, and has been the recipient of grant funding from the National Institute on Drug Abuse. In recognition of his research and contributions to the field, Tull was awarded the 2009 Chaim and Bela Danieli Young Professional Award from the International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies, and the 2010 President’s New Researcher Award from the Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies.

Kim L. Gratz, PhD, is professor and chair of the department of psychology at the University of Toledo, OH. Gratz directs the Personality and Emotion Research and Treatment laboratory, in which she conducts laboratory and treatment outcome research focused on the role of emotion dysregulation in the pathogenesis and treatment of borderline personality disorder (BPD), self-injury, and other risky behaviors. Gratz has received multiple awards for her research on personality disorders, including the Young Investigator’s Award from the National Education Alliance for Borderline Personality Disorder (NEA-BPD) in 2005, and the Mid-Career Investigator Award from the North American Society for the Study of Personality Disorders in 2015. She has been continuously funded since 2003 (with continuous federal funding as principal investigator since 2008), and has authored more than 145 peer-reviewed publications and six books on BPD, self-injury, and dialectical behavior therapy (DBT).

Alexander L. Chapman, PhD, RPsych, is professor and coordinator of the clinical science area in the psychology department at Simon Fraser University, BC, Canada, as well as a registered psychologist and president of the DBT Centre of Vancouver. Chapman directs the Personality and Emotion Research and Treatment laboratory, where he studies the role of emotion regulation in borderline personality disorder (BPD), self-harm, impulsivity, as well as other related issues. His research is currently funded by major grants from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research. Chapman has received the Young Investigator’s Award from the National Education Alliance for Borderline Personality Disorder, the Canadian Psychological Association’s Scientist Practitioner Early Career Award, and a Career Investigator award from the Michael Smith Foundation for Health Research. He has coauthored ten books, three of which received the 2012 Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies’ Self-Help Book Seal of Merit Award. Board-certified in cognitive behavioral therapy(CBT) (Canadian Association for Cognitive and Behavioral Therapies) and dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) (DBT®-Linehan Board of Certification), Chapman cofounded a large psychology practice, and regularly gives workshops and presentations to clinicians and community groups both nationally and internationally. He also has been practicing martial arts, Zen, and mindfulness meditation for many years, and enjoys cooking, hiking, skiing, and spending time with his wife and sons.