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Safer Stepping Stones: Acknowledging Trauma in Low Intensity CBT

Assistant Prof. Liz Ruth

Thursday 10 July 2025

Introduction

There are developments of a number of promising Low Intensity psychological interventions for early intervention after trauma exposure (Li et al. 2023). These are particularly relevant in low and middle income countries and countries affected by conflict. Such work may be developed and evaluated for the UK population in the future. Currently NICE Guidelines for PTSD do not recommend Guided Self Help/Low Intensity CBT interventions for PTSD. Recently published treatment guidelines for PTSD and C-PTSD echo that Trauma Focussed CBT or Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing are the best-evidenced and only recommended treatments for PTSD (NHS England 2024). Despite this the 2023/24 annual report on NHS Talking Therapies outcomes shows that 1262 patients received a course of Guided Self Help for PTSD and 25% of those patients deteriorated by the end of treatment, compared to 4.74% deterioration for EMDR and 6.2% deterioration for CBT. 


Current estimates are that approximately 31% of children in the UK population may be exposed to trauma events (Lewis et al. 2019) and that 3.7% of men and 5.1% of women meet the diagnostic criteria for Post Traumatic Stress disorder, with that number rising to 8.3% for people who identify as Black or Black British, and 5.8% for Asian or Asian British identified people (Commons Library Research Briefing. 2024). 


The majority of psychological treatment for PTSD and other common mental health disorders in adults in England is delivered by the NHS Talking Therapies programme, where Psychological Wellbeing Practitioners typically deliver assessment and first-line interventions. There is an increase in the provision of Low Intensity Psychological Interventions in Children and Young People’s Mental Health settings, in Schools, and in Community Mental Health Teams. Given the population prevalence of exposure to trauma events and the position of Low Intensity psychological practitioners who deliver high volume front-line care, it is essential that Low Intensity psychological practitioners in all of the professions (CYWP, EMHP, MHWP and PWP) are able to accurately identify PTSD and other possible difficulties that trauma exposed individuals are vulnerable to. Practitioners must be adequately trained and supervised to safely assess the treatment needs of their patients. It is only highly skilled practitioners who can limit their own exposure to trauma material while providing compassionate and trauma-informed care that safeguards patients and facilitates access to the best evidenced treatment for the individual. 


The event will be equivalent to 2.3/4 hrs of CPD.

Content

This workshop will include:
• A review of prevalence statistics for trauma events and the occurrence of PTSD in the UK population, taking into account age, identity and culture.
• A review of the assessment skills that are necessary to accurately and safely facilitate access to the most effective treatment.
• The quality of supervision required to work safely with patient populations where there is high probability of trauma exposure.
• Consideration of the overlap between PTSD and other common mental health disorders.
• Consideration of the role that Low Intensity Psychological Practitioners may play in treatment when PTSD is suspected, or a patient discloses trauma exposure.

Learning Objectives

You will learn:
1. The diagnostic criteria and NICE treatment guidelines for PTSD and C-PTSD
2. An opportunity to reflect on core clinical and assessment skills and their use in the safe assessment and onward referral for evidence-based treatment.
3. Contraindications for commonly used Low Intensity Psychoeducation and treatment interventions when PTSD is present.

Training Modalities

Didactic content, Q&A, polls

Key References

Lewis, Stephanie J et al. 2019. The epidemiology of trauma and post-traumatic stress disorder in a representative cohort of young people in England and Wales. The Lancet Psychiatry, Volume 6, Issue 3, 247 – 256. DOI: 10.1016/S2215-0366(19)30031-8

NHS England. 2024. Treatment of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder in working-age adults including Complex Post Traumatic Stress Disorder: Guidance for delivery of psychological therapies.

NHS Digital. 2024. NHS Talking Therapies, for anxiety and depression, Annual reports, 2023-24

Li, Jina et al. 2023. Effectiveness of a school-based, lay counselor-delivered cognitive behavioral therapy for Chinese children with posttraumatic stress symptoms: a randomized controlled trial. The Lancet Regional Health – Western Pacific, Volume 33, 100699. DOI: 10.1016/j.lanwpc.2023.100699

About the presenter

Liz Ruth is an Assistant Professor and Psychological Wellbeing Practitioner course leader at the University of Bradford. She trained as a Low Intensity Psychological Practitioner at the University of Sheffield in 2010 and practiced as a PWP, Senior and Lead PWP in IAPT for more than a decade before transitioning into education. Liz is an elected member of the Board of Trustees in the BABCP, and co-author of A Pragmatic Guide to Low Intensity Psychological Interventions: Care in High Volume (2023).

Who should attend

This event is suitable for anyone with an interest in effective Low Intensity CBT-Oriented psychological interventions following trauma events. The primary focus will be on published guidelines and the core clinical competencies required for Low Intensity psychological practice.

Details coming soon

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