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Chapter 4: Pseudoscience in Treating Adults Who Experienced Trauma

DOI:

10.1891/9780826177698.0004

Abstract

This chapter discusses various pseudoscientific interventions used for trauma and/or posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Some of these interventions also use the belief that trauma is at the root of all or most emotional difficulties and diagnoses to address a variety of different diagnoses and types of problems. Critical incident stress management (CISM), which was developed in response to the widespread criticism of critical incident stress debriefing (CISD), includes a wider range of techniques that include education on psychological responses to trauma and acute care to individuals, groups, families, and organizations. The chapter also discusses pseudoscientific interventions that target a wide array of different conditions using something other than the trauma model and includes treatment of trauma, among other conditions. Finally, it concludes with an overview on what are known as power therapies and the culture their proponents have created.