Reclaiming Your Life from a Traumatic Experience, Second Edition

A scientifically supported treatment workbook for survivors of sexual violence,
school violence, and other traumatic experiences.

An evidence-based psychological treatment program for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

“Foa, Rothbaum, Hembree, and Rauch’s Reclaiming Your Life from a Traumatic Experience: A Prolonged Exposure Treatment Program, Second Edition is an outstanding treatment workbook. Complete with practical materials for implementing every therapeutic strategy, this workbook is essential for individuals learning and applying Prolonged Exposure Therapy for PTSD.

The workbook presents concepts in a clear and accessible manner, making it appropriate for adolescents through older adults alike. It will be an invaluable resource for therapists, clients, and trainees, and represents a major advancement in PTSD treatment.”

— Terence M. Keane
Professor of Psychiatry, Boston University School of Medicine
Director, National Center for PTSD – Behavioral Science Division

Book Description

Individuals who continue to struggle with fear, shame, guilt, or helplessness after experiencing a traumatic event may be experiencing Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Reclaiming Your Life from a Traumatic Experience: A Prolonged Exposure Treatment Program helps readers work through PTSD and reclaim their lives from trauma.

This translated version of the workbook is the companion volume to the Therapist Guide for PTSD treatment using Prolonged Exposure Therapy (PE). It is a widely used clinical resource for PTSD related to many kinds of traumatic experiences, including motor vehicle accidents, physical assault, sexual violence, and combat-related trauma.

Prolonged Exposure Therapy is a scientifically supported treatment program with a strong research base. The program helps individuals face memories of trauma while processing the emotions connected to those experiences, reducing anxiety and emotional distress over time. Rather than avoiding or escaping situations that trigger fear and other negative emotions, readers learn to reevaluate their feelings and beliefs and begin to think differently about their traumatic experiences.

With detailed information about PTSD, case examples, self-assessment tools, and weekly homework assignments, this workbook is an invaluable resource for individuals working toward recovery from PTSD

About the Authors

Edna B. Foa, PhD.

Edna B. Foa, PhD, is Professor of Clinical Psychology in Psychiatry at the University of Pennsylvania and former Director of the Center for the Treatment and Study of Anxiety. Dr. Foa has devoted her career to the study of the psychopathology and treatment of anxiety disorders, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), and is widely recognized as one of the leading experts in the field.

Dr. Foa has made major contributions to the theoretical understanding of the mechanisms underlying these disorders, the development of scientifically supported treatment methods, and the identification of the processes through which effective psychological treatment produces change.

The Prolonged Exposure Therapy program she developed for individuals with PTSD has received the highest level of scientific support for its efficacy and has been widely disseminated throughout the United States and around the world.

In recognition of her achievements, Dr. Foa has received numerous honors and awards and was named one of TIME magazine’s most influential people.

Selected Awards:

Distinguished Scientific Contributions to Clinical Psychology Award, American Psychological Association (APA)
The Lifetime Achievement Award, International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies
The Lifetime Achievement Award, Association for Behavior and Cognitive Therapies
The 2010 Lifetime Achievement in the Field of Trauma Psychology Award, American Psychological Association
The Inaugural International Obsessive Compulsive Disorder Foundation Outstanding Career Achievement Award

Elizabeth A. Hembree, PhD.

Elizabeth A. Hembree, PhD, is Associate Professor of Psychology in Psychiatry at the Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania. Dr. Hembree’s clinical work and research have focused on anxiety disorders, the psychological impact of trauma, the treatment of trauma-related disorders, and the dissemination of cognitive behavioral treatment for PTSD.

She has served for more than 20 years on the faculty of the Center for the Treatment and Study of Anxiety (CTSA), where Prolonged Exposure Therapy (PE) was originally developed. From 1999 to 2009, Dr. Hembree served as Director of Clinical Training at CTSA. She has also directed treatment programs for survivors of sexual assault and crime victims, as well as professional training programs.

For more than two decades, Dr. Hembree has conducted extensive clinical research on the efficacy and effectiveness of cognitive behavioral treatment for PTSD and anxiety disorders. She has trained many professionals across the United States and internationally through workshops on cognitive behavioral treatment for PTSD. Her expertise in trauma and PTSD has also been recognized by the United States Department of Defense and the Department of Veterans Affairs, where she has trained mental health professionals to provide effective, evidence-based psychotherapy for veterans and active-duty military personnel.

Dr. Hembree has authored numerous books and scientific publications related to PTSD and trauma and has served on the editorial boards of the Journal of Traumatic Stress and the Journal of Anxiety Disorders.

Barbara Olasov Rothbaum, PhD.

Barbara Olasov Rothbaum, PhD, is Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Emory University School of Medicine and Associate Vice Chair of Clinical Research. She is also Director of the Emory Healthcare Veterans Program and the Trauma and Anxiety Recovery Program at Emory, and holds the Paul A. Janssen Chair in Neuropsychopharmacology.

Dr. Rothbaum specializes in research on the treatment of anxiety disorders, with a particular focus on clients experiencing mood-related symptoms associated with PTSD. She has contributed to more than 300 scientific articles and books and has authored or edited eight books on PTSD treatment and three books on anxiety disorders.

Dr. Rothbaum is board certified in Behavioral Psychology by the American Board of Professional Psychology and has served as President of the International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies. She currently serves as a scientific advisor to the Anxiety Disorders Association of America, the National Center for PTSD, and McLean Hospital. She is also a member of the executive committee of the Warrior Care Network and is recognized as a pioneer in the application of virtual reality technology to the treatment of psychiatric disorders.

She is a Fellow of the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology, the Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies, APA Division 56, Trauma Psychology, and the National Academy of Inventors. She has also served on Institute of Medicine studies evaluating sustained efforts in PTSD treatment and continues to train clinicians in evidence-based treatment for PTSD.

About the Translators

Yong Cho, PhD.

Yong Cho, PhD, is a psychologist licensed in New York State and the founder and president of The Tree Group and the DBT Institute of Korea. After graduating from the University of Utah, he earned his doctorate in Clinical Psychology from The New School for Social Research.

He began his clinical training at Beth Israel Medical Center in 1997. In 1998, he continued formal psychotherapy and DBT clinical training at Zucker Hillside Hospital / Long Island Jewish Medical Center in New York. He completed an APA-accredited internship program at the same hospital. Beginning in the early 2000s, he became one of the first clinicians to apply DBT with Korean and Asian clients experiencing emotion dysregulation, borderline personality disorder, and Hwa-Byung symptoms.

He also established the Asian American Family Clinic within the hospital system, where he provided psychotherapy for clients from diverse cultural backgrounds. His work was featured in The New York Times and other media outlets.

In 2003, he founded The Tree Group in Korea, where he has provided evidence-based psychotherapy programs including DBT, Prolonged Exposure Therapy (PE), and behavior therapy. In 2007, through collaboration with Marsha M. Linehan and DBT specialists in Seattle, he established the Dialectical Behavior Therapy Center of Korea under The Tree Group. In 2008, he invited Dr. Linehan to Korea and organized a DBT professional workshop.

In 2023, he founded the DBT Institute of Korea, a professional training institute dedicated to the ethical dissemination and implementation of DBT. During 2023–2024, he collaborated with Behavioral Tech to organize the official DBT Intensive Training program in Korea. He currently provides DBT treatment and education for Korean- and English-speaking adults, adolescents, parents, and families as both a clinician and educator.

Songhee Chae, M.A.

Songhee Chae graduated from the Department of Psychology at Ewha Womans University and received her master’s degree in psychology from the same institution. She completed clinical training through a collaborative program between The Tree Group / DBT Center of Korea and Evidence Based Treatment Centers of Seattle (EBTCS) in Seattle, United States. In 2008, she completed the official DBT Intensive Training program conducted by Behavioral Tech.

Since 2007, she has provided treatment based on the standard Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) program. Her clinical work has focused on treatment and consultation for clients and families experiencing chronic and complex difficulties, including emotion dysregulation, self-destructive behaviors, emotional and behavioral problems, and autism spectrum disorder.

Drawing on this clinical experience, she has also continued to participate in the translation of books related to DBT and Prolonged Exposure Therapy (PE).

In 2008, she served as Operations Director for a workshop featuring Marsha M. Linehan. As Vice President of the DBT Institute of Korea, which was founded in accordance with Dr. Linehan’s educational philosophy of DBT, she has overseen the 2023–2024 DBT Intensive Training programs and various educational initiatives, dedicating her work to the dissemination of DBT education in Korea.