The information in this program outline is provided by the program representative and edited by the CEBC staff. The Prolonged Exposure Therapy for Adolescents (PE-A) program has been rated by the CEBC in the areas of: Anxiety Treatment (Child & Adolescent) and Trauma Treatment (Child & Adolescent).

• Types of Maltreatment: Physical Abuse, Sexual Abuse
• Target Population: Adolescents who have experienced a trauma (e.g., sexual assault, car accident, violent crimes, etc). The program has also been used with children 6 to 12 years of age and adults who have experienced a trauma.

PE-A is a therapeutic treatment where clients are encouraged to repeatedly approach situations or activities they are avoiding because they remind them of their trauma (in vivo exposure) as well as to revisit the traumatic memory several times through retelling it (imaginal exposure). Psychoeducation about common reactions to trauma as well as breathing retraining exercises are also included in the treatment. The aim of in vivo and imaginal exposure is to help clients emotionally process their traumatic memories through imaginal and in vivo exposure. Through these procedures, they learn that they can safely remember the trauma and experience trauma reminders, that the distress that initially results from confrontations with these reminders decreases over time, and that they are capable of tolerating this distress.

The overall goal of Prolonged Exposure Therapy for Adolescents (PE-A) is to promote the client’s ability to emotionally process their traumatic experiences and consequently diminish PTSD and other trauma-related symptoms.