Consultation competencies in prolonged exposure therapy for posttraumatic stress disorder.

INTRODUCTION

The Emory University Prolonged Exposure (PE) Consultant Training Program seeks to develop a national network of competent PE consultants. Comprehensive training in empirically supported treatment (EST), such as PE, includes a didactic training followed by a period of experiential learning through consultation during real-world clinical practice (Karlin & Cross, 2014). Expert consultants are needed to meet demand as ESTs are disseminated.

METHOD

The Emory program has developed a training model to develop 18 consultation skills within five competency domains: the consultation relationship, general psychotherapy skills, PE-specific skills, trainee barriers to delivery, and implementation.

RESULTS

The current article outlines these domains and discusses their theoretical background and applied value for PE consultant training, drawing on examples from the Emory program.

DISCUSSION

Just as manualizing therapy has allowed for EST dissemination, the operationalizing of consultation competencies can provide a first step in disseminating evidence-based consultation practice. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).