CTI Summer Training Institute

Clinical Decision-Making in Treatment of Complex Developmental Trauma with Children, Adolescents, Families and Young Adults
Presented by Julian D. Ford, Ph.D., A.B.P.P.

This workshop will provide therapists in practice and in training with guidance on recognizing and handling the complex challenges that occur in treating adults and youth who have complex trauma histories, with a particular focus on crises of extreme affect (and behavioral) dysregulation and dissociation. Using films of actual therapy sessions with simulated clients and therapists of a variety of backgrounds and approaches, key principles and decision-making strategies will be derived and discussed. Application to attendees’ clinical cases will be encouraged in this interactive session.

Presenter Information

Dr. Julian D. Ford, Ph.D., A.B.P.P., is a clinical psychologist and Professor and Chair of the Institutional Review Board at the University of Connecticut School of Medicine. He is the Principal Investigator of the Center for Trauma Recovery and Juvenile Justice and the Center for the Treatment of Developmental Trauma Disorders in the National Child Traumatic Stress Network. Dr. Ford also serves as the Editor of the Journal of Trauma and Dissociation and as Associate Editor for the Journal of Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities. He was the President of the International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies (2018-2019), and is a Fellow of the American Psychological Association. In 2020, he received the Distinguished Scholar Award from the Academy of Violence and Abuse. Dr. Ford has published more than 300 journal articles and book chapters and is author or editor of 10 books, including Treating Complex Trauma, Treating Complex Traumatic Stress Disorders in Adults, Treating Complex Traumatic Stress Disorders in Children and Adolescents, and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder: Scientific and Professional Dimensions. Dr. Ford was Co-Principal Investigator of the Developmental Trauma Disorder Field trial study, and developed randomized effectiveness studies of a trauma-focused present-centered therapeutic model for youths, adults, and families with developmental trauma histories and complex PTSD, Trauma Affect Regulation: Guide for Education and Therapy (TARGET©).

Learning Objectives: (4.5 CE hours)
Participants who complete this module will be able to:

• Recognize complex trauma reactions of emotion dysregulation and dissociation that occur in therapy sessions
• Describe how to apply clinical decision-making strategies when complex trauma reactions occur in therapy sessions
• Describe practical strategies for helping clients to manage complex trauma reactions when they occur in therapy sessions

 Schedule:
Thursday, July 23, 2026
8:00 am-1:00 pm