Developmental Trauma Disorder (DTD) and TARGET

This  workshop introduces a new framework for understanding, assessing, and treating youth and caregivers who have experienced complex trauma, Developmental Trauma Disorder (DTD) and the TARGET (Trauma Affect Regulation: Guide for Education and Therapy) approach to therapy for youth and caregivers who have experienced complex trauma. 

Through clinical examples and brief interactive exercises, attendees will gain practical strategies for assessing DTD and implementing TARGET in their work with clients affected by complex trauma.

Learning Objectives

  • Describe how apparently maladaptive reactions to complex trauma and polyvictimization compromise psychosocial development despite originating as adaptive forms of survival coping resulting from automatic self-protective alterations in connections between the amygdala, hippocampus, and prefrontal cortex in the brain.

  • Describe how complex PTSD (CPTSD) and Developmental Trauma Disorder (DTD) provide a clinical framework for treatment planning for polyvictimized youth and their caregivers.

  • Describe psychoeducation and practical skills for self-regulation taught to youth and caregivers for present-centered trauma processing of CPTSD/DTD symptoms in Trauma Affect Regulation: Guide for Education Therapy (TARGET).

About the instructor

Dr. Julian D. Ford

Julian D. Ford, Ph.D., A.B.P.P. is a board certified clinical psychologist and Professor of Psychiatry and Law at the University of Connecticut where he directs two Treatment and Services Adaptation Centers in the National Child Traumatic Stress Network: the Center for Trauma Recovery and Juvenile Justice and the Center for the Treatment of Developmental Trauma Disorders. Dr. Ford is Editor of the Journal of Trauma and Dissociation and Associate Editor for the Journal of Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities. He is a past President of the International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies, and a Fellow of the American Psychological Association. He has published more than 350 articles and book chapters and is the author or editor of 10 books, including Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, 2nd Edition, Treating Complex Trauma: A Sequenced, Relationship-Based Approach, 2nd Edition, Treating Complex Traumatic Stress Disorders in Children and Adolescents: Scientific Foundations and Therapeutic Models, and Critical Moments: Transforming Crises into Turning Points in Psychotherapy. Dr. Ford is the Principal Investigator for the national Developmental Trauma Disorder Field trial research study, and developed and has conducted randomized clinical trial and effectiveness studies with the Trauma Affect Regulation: Guide for Education and Therapy (TARGET©) model for youths and adults with developmental trauma histories and complex PTSD.

Continuing Education Credits

3 CE credits available

  • Bridgepoint Psychology Center (BPC) is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists.

  • You must be in attendance for the full program to recieve CE credit. Partial credit will not be available.

  • BPC maintains responsibility for this program and its content.

  • Please check with your governing board to verify your continuing education license requirements.

  • For additional information regarding CEs, email: [email protected]

Frequently Asked Questions

  • How do I receive my CE certificate after completing a course?

    Upon successful completion of the course and any required assessments, you'll be able to download your CE certificate directly from your account under the "Completed Courses" section.

  • Can I use these CE credits to meet my state licensure requirements?

    While our courses are accredited, CE credit requirements vary by state and licensing board. We recommend checking with your specific licensing board to ensure our courses meet their criteria.

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