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DBT-PE Successfully Treats PTSD, So Why Don’t All Clients Have Access?

For half of all Americans, trauma is an unfortunate aspect of everyday life. While most adults recover from their traumatic experiences, some remain permanently impacted by terrifying and painful memories. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, nearly four percent of all adults in the US are living with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Common symptoms of PTSD include flashbacks, nightmares, severe anxiety, and uncontrollable thoughts. These symptoms can start within a month of a traumatic event, but for some, it may take years to manifest. These debilitating flashbacks can prevent sufferers from maintaining relationships, employment, or even completing simple daily tasks. 

For sixteen years, Jackie, 63, unsuccessfully tried to manage her anxiety, depression, and suicidal thoughts. Whether through medications or traditional talk therapy, nothing seemed to help. As a mother of five, Jackie struggled to provide for her family and maintain a stable environment. But in 2019, Jackie was referred to the team at Thrive Behavioral Health, and began working with Licensed Mental Health Counselor, Erika Cannon. 

Cannon is the Clinical Supervisor of Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT) Programs, a broad-based cognitive behavioral treatment originally developed for chronically suicidal people diagnosed with Borderline Personality Disorder. Programming consists of a combination of individual psychotherapy, group skills training, telephone coaching, and a therapist consultation team. Through her meetings with Cannon, Jackie was diagnosed with PTSD for the first time in her life. Cannon recommended a specialized treatment called DBT Prolonged Exposure (PE), designed for individuals with PTSD who are too high risk and unstable to receive trauma-focused treatments as a first-line intervention.

“Typical clients receiving this treatment have suffered from PTSD for as long as they can remember, have spent many years engaged in mental health services, and have never received effective treatment for PTSD. In most cases, the nature and severity of these clients’ problems have kept therapists from even attempting to provide a trauma-focused treatment,” said Cannon. “Many clients have been told that their problems are too complex to allow them to receive treatment for PTSD or that they could not talk about their traumas because it would be unsafe or destabilizing. They can spend years stuck in this catch-22 situation in which trauma and PTSD are the cause of behaviors that contraindicate trauma-focused treatment.”

Jackie has now taken part in more than 26 sessions with Cannon, completely transforming her life and relationship with her kids and now fifteen grandchildren. She recently moved into a new apartment and is experiencing a sense of independence she never imagined possible.  “It’s never too late to change,” Jackie said. “This program saved me, and it’s my hope that more people will get access to this transformative treatment.”

Today there are two clinicians at Thrive who are certified to provide DBT-PE services, working with a total of twelve clients at various stages of treatment. Thrive is one of two facilities in the entire state of Rhode Island that offers DBT-PE. Funding, training, and staffing limitations have greatly impacted the number of practitioners. It takes approximately two years to train a clinician to provide DBT treatment, requiring a significant financial and time commitment for trainers, and the clinicians learning the skills.

The impacts of PTSD will continue to affect the lives and well-being of millions of Americans, but with increased access to DBT-PE treatment and resources we can begin to connect those impacted with the life saving programming they need to thrive.