Clinical Topics & Methods Category

The Impact of Early Life Trauma: Clinical and Neurobiological Perspectives

3 CE Hours
263 members have taken this course
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About the Course

This webinar explores the clinical and neurobiological implications of early life trauma. Psychiatric symptoms that are comorbid with early life trauma are defined and discussed. Emotional awareness, affect disregulation, and sense of self as related to early life trauma are covered in depth. Specific recommendations to help clients deal with symptoms are delineated.

This course is based on the recorded webinar, The Impact of Early Life Trauma: Clinical and Neurobiological Perspectives created by Ruth Lanius, MD, Ph.D. in 2013.

Publication Details

Journal/Publisher: TOP DD
Publication Date: 2013

Course Material Author

Ruth Lanius, MD, Ph.D.

Ruth Lanius, M.D., graduated from the University of British Columbia with a combined M.D. and Ph.D. degree in Neuroscience in 1996. She continued her training at the University of Western Ontario where she completed her residency in psychiatry in 2000. She is an Associate Professor in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Western Ontario. She established and directed the Traumatic Stress Service, a service that specializes in the treatment and research of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and related comorbid disorders. She also established and directed the Traumatic Stress Workplace Program, a program that specialized in the treatment and research or workplace-related Posttraumatic Stress Disorder. She is currently holds the Harris-Woodman Chair in Psyche and Soma at the Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry at the University of Western Ontario. Her research interests focus on studying the neural correlates of PTSD using neuroimaging (functional magnetic resonance imaging) and treatment outcome research examining various pharmacological and psychotherapeutic methods. Her research is currently funded by several federal funding agencies. Dr. Lanius is an ad hoc reviewer for numerous journals and granting agencies. She has lectured on the topic of PTSD in North America, Europe and Japan

Ruth Lanius, MD, Ph.D. authored the material only, and was not involved in creating this CE course. They are identified here for your own evaluation of the relevancy of the material this course is based on.

Course Creator

ISSTD Staff

These questions were created by staff and volunteers at ISSTD.

Target Audience

This course is recommended for health care professionals, especially psychologists, counselors, social workers, and nurses who seek knowledge about clinical and neurobiological implications of early life trauma. It is appropriate for all levels of participants' knowledge.

Learning Objectives

After taking this activity, you should be able to:

  1. 1 Discuss the clinical and neurobiological impacts of early life trauma.
  2. 2 Identify and describe the psychiatric diagnoses and symptoms that are comorbid with early life trauma.
  3. 3 Define and discuss post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and complex PTSD and their relationship with early life trauma.
  4. 4 Discuss the three areas (emotional awareness, affect disregulation, & sense of self) covered in this webinar, the neurobiological implications relevant to these three areas, and how these three areas are affected by early life trauma.
  5. 5 Discuss the recommendations for mental health professionals to use when working with clients with early life trauma and related symptomology.

Disclosure to Learners

CE Learning Systems adheres to the ACCME's Standards for Integrity and Independence in Accredited Continuing Medical Education. Any individuals in a position to control the content of a CE activity – including faculty, planners, reviewers, or others ― are required to disclose all relevant financial relationships with ineligible entities (formerly known as commercial interests).

The following relevant financial relationships have been disclosed by this activity's planners, faculty, and the reviewer:

Planners and Reviewers

The planners of this activity have reported that they have no relevant financial relationships.

Material Authors

There are no known relevant financial relationships to disclose.

Course Creator

ISSTD Staff – There are no known relevant financial relationships to disclose.

Commercial support

There is no commercial support for this distance-learning course.

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Ruth Lanius - TOP DD - Video Presentation

This material is available to purchase for $25.00.

This course material is published by Bethany Brand. For your convenience, has partnered with Bethany Brand to make it available for purchase right here.

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Ruth Lanius - TOP DD - Video Presentation

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