Professional Training Program
The Professional Training Program (PTP) advances understanding and treatment of trauma and dissociation. ISSTD PTP courses provide current, high-quality content and instruction, setting the standard for graduate and continuing education in trauma and dissociation. The program includes four levels of discussion-based training courses:
- Level I: The Complexities of Complex Trauma
- Level II: From Complex Trauma to Dissociative Disorders
- Level III: Advanced Topics in Complex Trauma and Dissociative Disorders
- Level III: The Assessment and Treatment of Traumatic Dissociation in Children and Adolescents
- Level IV: Master Seminar: Complex Posttraumatic and Dissociative Disorders
Students must start with Level I and proceed sequentially. Level III offers two options: one for those treating adults and another for those treating children and adolescents. Students may choose between these options or complete both after Levels I and II. Course descriptions detail the topics covered and required readings.
Experienced faculty members, each with years of work in complex trauma and dissociation, teach each course. With faculty in multiple time zones, we offer courses at various times to accommodate all students.
Our live online courses, conducted via Zoom in a teleseminar format, are heavily discussion-based and do not follow a traditional postgraduate structure. Limited didactic instruction ensures participants engage directly with instructors and peers, creating a rich learning experience.
Courses within the Professional Training Program start three times a year: Winter (late January/February), Spring (April/May) and Fall (September/October).