Progressive Counting: A New Trauma Resolution Method

Abstract

The counting method is a recently developed treatment for trauma memories that appears to be efficient, well tolerated by clients, and relatively easy for therapists to master. Progressive counting (PC) represents a substantial modification of this method for enhanced treatment tolerance and efficiency. PC was done with an 11-year-old girl who experienced the death of a family member as well as repeated molestation by a babysitter, and with a 12-year-old girl who experienced two losses and a disabling injury. In each case, at follow-up (12 weeks for the first case, 4 weeks for the second), posttraumatic stress symptoms had moved from clinical to normal levels, presenting problems had substantially diminished, and almost no memory-related distress remained. PC is promising and warrants further study.

Keywords:

• trauma
• loss
• child
• adolescent
• treatment
• exposure
• CBT