The first session, will focus on building rapport with the patient, providing a rational for treatment based on a cognitive conceptualization of PTSD and treatment, eliciting treatment adherence, and providing psychoeducation regarding the patient's symptoms of PTSD and depression to help develop a full and accurate understanding of the physical and emotional responses that are characteristic of PTSD. As the therapist, I will provide a description of symptoms of PTSD and cognitive formulations of them. For example, the patient's presenting symptoms of sleep deprivation, night terrors, easily startled and jumpiness, frequent disappearance that increased from hour to days, anger, feelings of guilt, and numbness are common symptomalogy of PTSD.
