The counting method: Applying the rule of parsimony to the treatment of posttraumatic stress disorder
A study is described comparing Prolonged Exposure, EMDR, and the Counting Method with 51 multiply-traumatized women.
Article Abstract
“The authors contend that the primary therapeutic element in psychological treatments for posttraumatic stress disorder is imaginal exposure, and that differences among major approaches are determined more by secondary techniques designed to circumvent the client’s avoidant defenses against exposure. A study is described comparing Prolonged Exposure, Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing, and the Counting Method with 51 multiply-traumatized women. Measures of PTSD were significantly reduced by all three methods, but differences among the methods were negligible. Because the Counting Method utilizes only imaginal exposure as a therapeutic element, support is given to the more parsimonious conclusion that imaginal exposure may be both the necessary and sufficient factor in therapeutic effect, countering a trend in the field toward more complex, multi-faceted treatment packages.”
—Description from publisher
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Johnson, D. R., & Lubin, H. (2006). The counting method: Applying the rule of parsimony to the treatment of posttraumatic stress disorder. Traumatology, 12(1), 83-99. https://doi.org/10.1177/153476560601200106
Date
March 1, 2006
Creator(s)
David Read Johnson, Hadar Lubin
Topics
PTSD
Practice & Methods
Comparative Studies
Extent
17 pages
Publisher
American Psychological Association
Rights
Copyright © 2006, American Psychological Association
APA Citation
Johnson, D. R., & Lubin, H. (2006). The counting method: Applying the rule of parsimony to the treatment of posttraumatic stress disorder. Traumatology, 12(1), 83-99. https://doi.org/10.1177/153476560601200106
Audience
EMDR Therapists, Other Mental Health Professionals
Language
English
Content Type
Article, Peer-Reviewed, RCT
Access Type
External Resource