Implosive therapy for the treatment of combat-related PTSD

Implosive therapy for the treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder is based on the principle of exposing the patient to trauma-related cues until there is a reduction in the anxiety associated with the cues. It is a relatively specialized procedure regarding which few clinicians receive extensive supervised training, despite the numerous case studies that demonstrate its effectiveness. The present paper addresses a number of procedural issues and offers guidelines for conducting implosive therapy with traumatized combat veterans. Elements of controversy regarding the application of implosive therapy are discussed.