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The Role of Cognitive–Affective Themes in the Assessment and Treatment of Trauma Reactions
Author(s) -
Lebowitz Leslie,
Newman Elana
Publication year - 1996
Publication title -
clinical psychology and psychotherapy
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.315
H-Index - 76
eISSN - 1099-0879
pISSN - 1063-3995
DOI - 10.1002/(sici)1099-0879(199609)3:3<196::aid-cpp102>3.0.co;2-u
Subject(s) - psychology , argument (complex analysis) , perspective (graphical) , cognition , meaning (existential) , thematic analysis , traumatic stress , psychotherapist , field (mathematics) , principal (computer security) , cognitive psychology , clinical psychology , qualitative research , sociology , medicine , psychiatry , social science , computer science , mathematics , artificial intelligence , pure mathematics , operating system
Trauma is increasingly understood in terms of its effect on cognitive–affective meaning structures and processes, referred to as themes. This idea is contextualized within the theoretical perspectives now dominant in the field of traumatic stress to illustrate its potential as a unifying principal. An argument is developed for the clinical utility of focusing on themes in both assessment and treatment, and recent research supporting this perspective is reviewed. A clinical case is presented to illustrate the utility of a thematic approach to assessment and treatment. Finally, limitations and future directions of the research are discussed.