Consultation competencies in prolonged exposure therapy for posttraumatic stress disorder

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Psychotherapy Training
• Evidence-Based Practice Dissemination

Background:

• The Emory University Prolonged Exposure (PE) Consultant Training Program aims to build a national network of skilled PE consultants.
• Effective training in empirically supported treatments (ESTs) involves both didactic instruction and supervised clinical practice.
• There is a growing need for expert consultants to support the widespread adoption of ESTs.

Purpose of the Study:

• To outline a model for training consultants in Prolonged Exposure (PE) therapy.
• To define key competency domains and skills essential for effective PE consultation.
• To establish a framework for disseminating evidence-based consultation practices.

Main Methods:

• Development of a training model focusing on 18 distinct consultation skills.
• Categorization of skills into five competency domains: consultation relationship, general psychotherapy, PE-specific skills, trainee barriers, and implementation.
• Utilizing examples from the Emory program to illustrate the training model.

Main Results:

• The article details five competency domains crucial for PE consultant training.
• It outlines 18 specific consultation skills within these domains.
• The theoretical background and practical application of these domains are discussed.

Conclusions:

• Operationalizing consultation competencies is a vital step towards disseminating evidence-based consultation practices.
• This approach mirrors the success of manualizing therapy for EST dissemination.
• Standardized consultation training can enhance the quality and reach of PE therapy.