A case study published in the European Journal of Psychotraumatology explores a combined therapy approach for treating Complex PTSD (CPTSD), which often stems from prolonged trauma such as childhood abuse or domestic violence. Traditional treatments like Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) have shown limited effectiveness for CPTSD. The study implemented a therapeutic combination of Schema Therapy (ST), Imagery Rescripting (ImRs), and EMDR over 50 sessions.

Treatment progressed in phases, starting with trust-building and case conceptualization, followed by trauma-focused therapy that integrated ImRs and EMDR. Results indicated significant reductions in maladaptive schemas and a decrease in the Clinician-Administered PTSD Scale for DSM-5 (CAPS-5) score from severe to below the clinical cut-off for PTSD.

While the patient’s outcomes appear promising, the study calls for further research, including randomized controlled trials, to assess the efficacy of this integrated approach compared to individual treatments. Future efforts should focus on personalizing therapy to meet the unique needs and responses of those with CPTSD.