Evidence-Based Practice Interventions

Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and interpersonal therapy (IPT) are types of evidence-based practice
interventions used when working with crisis survivors. CBT includes a variety of approaches, the most wellknown of which include cognitive therapy, behavior therapy, rational emotive behavior therapy, and multimodal
therapy. Relaxation training is a cognitive behavioral adjunct that is helpful for anxiety reduction, and various
types of cognitive behavior therapies such as trauma-focused CBT are valuable when working with child and
adolescent disaster survivors. Multimodal therapy is based on the idea that humans think, feel, act, sense,
imagine, and interact, and that each of those “modalities” should be addressed in psychological treatment. The
multimodal therapy acronym “BASIC I D” signifies behavior, affect, sensation, imagery, cognition, interpersonal
relationships, and drugs/biology and is the basis for treatment.
Interpersonal therapy (IPT) is time limited and employs homework, structured interviews, and assessment
tools. It focuses on the interpersonal context (rather than intrapsychic) and on building interpersonal skills. IPT
may change the client’s interpersonal behavior by promoting adjustment to current interpersonal roles and
conditions. Similar to other counseling and psychotherapy, crisis interventions include assessment that is
ongoing throughout the intervention process. The dissimilarities of crisis interventions, however, include the
persistent emphasis on problem-solving techniques as well as safety assessment.
The Assignment (4–6 pages):
Briefly describe two CBT and two IPT evidence-based practice strategies that may be applied to working with
crisis survivors (e.g., PTSD, depression, suicide, substance abuse).
Then explain how these strategies might be changed if the crisis survivor was diagnosed with PTSD prior to
the current trauma.
Finally, provide a brief analysis of how your intervention strategies for persons with PTSD might differ if you
were working with military personnel rather than civilians. Give specific examples.