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Our Next Lecture

State of the Science for Written Exposure Therapy

Brian Marx, PhD

Wednesday, November 20 at 2:00pm ET 

Photo by Andrea Piacquadio

About the Presenter

Brian Marx, PhD is Deputy Director of the Behavioral Science Division, National Center for PTSD and a Professor in the Department of Psychiatry, Boston University Chobanian and Avedisian School of Medicine. He is also the Co-Director of VA’s Suicide Prevention Research Impact Network (SPRINT). He has studied the effects of psychological trauma for more than 30 years and has received an award for Outstanding Contributions to the Science of Trauma Psychology from Division 56 of the American Psychological Association and the Robert S. Laufer Memorial Award for Outstanding Scientific Contributions from the International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies. Among his previous accomplishments, Dr. Marx developed a sexual assault prevention program that was endorsed by the World Health Organization. He is also a co-author of several of the instruments most used to diagnose PTSD and has pioneered methods to improve the quality of PTSD diagnostic assessments for multisite randomized clinical trials. Along with Dr. Denise Sloan, he is co-developer of Written Exposure Therapy for PTSD, an evidence-based treatment recognized by three PTSD clinical practice guidelines. Dr. Marx has published over 300 scientific articles and has received external funding from various federal agencies and private foundations to support his research.

About the Topic

Written Exposure Therapy (WET) is a manualized trauma-focused evidence-based psychotherapy for PTSD.  WET was developed as a brief, more tolerable trauma-focused treatment that is easily trained and disseminated to clinicians who work with PTSD patients. Due to its brevity (5 sessions) and flexibility, it can be used in a variety of clinical settings to expand access to evidence-base care for PTSD. WET is recommended in the current version of the Clinical Practice Guideline produced by the Department of Veterans Affairs and the Department of Defense. This presentation will provide information about the development of WET, the evidence showing its effectiveness, and how to implement the treatment in clinical practice.

Learn more about Written Exposure Therapy:

• Webpage for providers
• Webpage for the public
• Written Exposure Therapy: Helping During Treatment
• Brief video

Upcoming Lectures

Featured Articles

Complex PTSD

Complex posttraumatic stress disorder (CPTSD) was proposed shortly after the introduction of PTSD to capture the long-term consequences of prolonged, early trauma, such as child sexual abuse. There is continued debate about whether CPTSD is its own disorder or part of PTSD. Adding to the discourse is that the definition of CPTSD has shifted over time, most recently being defined by the International Clarification of Diseases-11th Revision (ICD-11). 

Read these two new articles online:

Complex PTSD: History and Definitions

Complex PTSD: Assessment and Treatment

Free Resources

Dealing With Holiday Stress

With the holiday season approaching, consider sharing this blog post with Veterans in your care who might be experiencing increased stress.

VA Can Help with Those Holiday Blues 

Holiday traditions and family get-togethers are a source of comfort for many. But the holidays can also act as anniversaries of unpleasant events or remind us of difficult changes that have happened in the last year. 

This shareable blog post includes tips from our clinicians that can help Veterans manage their symptoms over the holiday season.  Links for free resources are included

Mindfulness Coach App

Available for both iOS and Android devices, Mindfulness Coach was developed for people who may be experiencing emotional distress and for those wanting to maintain healthy coping practices. The app can be used on its own by those who would like mindfulness tools or to enhance face-to-face care with a healthcare professional.

Learn more and download the free app

Are you treating U.S. Veterans?

Our team of expert clinicians is available to consult with any healthcare provider treating U.S. veterans in any setting.   We can discuss assessment, diagnosis, psychotherapy, medications, collaborating with VA care, patient and family education, continuing education, and just about anything else related to veterans and PTSD.  No question is too big or too small. Contact us at PTSDconsult@va.gov or 866-948-7880.