Course Description

Continuing Education Hours: 19

This course offers reliable, science based strategies to effectively confront the complexity of PTSD and equips learners with an in-depth understanding on tackling its various challenging symptoms such as intense abreactions/flashbacks, severe depression-like shutdowns and avoidance behavior, dissociation issues, relational challenges etc. It also delves into established research findings along with clinically proven approaches that can be used for treating cases of complex trauma and the cumulative harm effects of toxic stress environments.

Certification Description

This Certification is intended for the professional who has an existing knowledge about trauma and an overview of trauma treatment modalities (CCTS-I Certified Clinical Trauma Specialist for individuals or the CCTS-F Certified Clinical Trauma Specialist for Family). The Advanced certification builds from that foundation and adds skills and tools designed to promote trauma healing.

Learning Objectives

  • Articulate the differences between simple and complex trauma and identify the distinct challenges for diagnosis, treatment planning, stabilization and treatment of Complex Trauma.

  • Understand the neurobiology of Complex Trauma and how chronic exposure to threatening environments can produce the spectrum of symptoms of Complex Trauma.

  • Appreciate the role that attachment trauma and Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) play in risk for and creation of Complex Trauma; and how successfully addressing attachment issues can accelerate treatment for Complex Trauma.

  • Articulate the causes of attachment trauma (e.g., relational threat/anxious attachment; avoidant attachment; disorganized attachment) and how these adaptations are easily misunderstood as personality disorders, and articulate the importance of neuroplasticity/pruning and understanding neuronal sequencing (i.e., “neural networks”) in treating Complex Trauma and all post traumatic conditions.

  • Articulate the importance of neuroplasticity/pruning and understanding neuronal sequencing (i.e., “neural networks”) in treating Complex Trauma and all post traumatic conditions and Understand the important role that conditioned threat response and subsequent ANS dysregulation play in generating and sustaining the symptoms of all post traumatic conditions including Complex Trauma.

  • Articulate and explain how dissociation symptoms (e.g., numbing; derealization; depersonalization; hearing “voices”; fractured multiple ego-states; dissociative identity) are adaptations to recurring (usually developmental) trauma.

  • Understand symptoms of Complex Trauma as adaptations to ongoing developmental trauma that can include extreme symptoms including self-injury; suicide; dissociation; numbing; addiction (process and substance); eating disordered behavior; chronic & intractable depression; hyper/hypo sexuality; and rage.

  • Articulate the role of crucial non-specific factors of positive expectancy and therapeutic relationship using Feedback Informed Therapy (FIT) as central focus of treatment with Complex Trauma.

  • Learn and appreciate the pivotal role of psychoeducation in treating Complex Trauma to help survivors to begin to honor their survival, ameliorate shame and move towards self-compassion.

  • Learn and implement the four “common factors/active ingredients” shared by all effective trauma therapies for clients with Complex Trauma and appreciate the ubiquitous role of reciprocal inhibition embedded in all evidence-based trauma therapies.

Skills

Preparation/Assessment/Treatment Planning/Relationship-Building

  • Master self-regulation of ANS dysregulation (i.e., anxiety) for clinician resilience and optimization of treatment delivery.

  • Become intentional with maximizing positive expectancy as crucial early treatment intervention for engagement and ongoing intervention to enhance outcomes.

  • First-session Interventions to enhance safety, stabilization, positive expectancy and therapeutic relationship.

  • Skilled implementation of Feedback Informed Therapy using Miller’s Session Rating Scale.

Course Curriculum

    1. Welcome and Handouts

    1. Module 1 Overview

    2. Introduction to Salutogenesis

    3. Module 1 Quiz

    1. Module 2 Overview

    2. A Recap of Introduction to Salutogenesis

    3. Module 2 Quiz

    1. Module 3 Overview

    2. What Causes Trauma

    3. Module 3 Quiz

    1. Module 4 Overview

    2. Reciprocal Inhibition

    3. Module 4 Quiz

    1. Module 5 Overview

    2. Active Ingredients Part 1

    3. Module 5 Quiz

About this course

  • $256.00
  • 81 lessons
  • 19 hours of video content

Course Instructor

Dr. Robert Rhoton

PsyD, LPC, F.A.A.E.T.S.

Dr. Robert Rhoton, Founder of the Arizona Trauma Institute and President at the Trauma Institute International possesses a rich history of experience in the mental health field. Dr. Rhoton has supervised multiple outpatient clinics, juvenile justice programs, and intensive outpatient substance abuse programs for adolescents, day treatment programs for youth and children, adult offender programs and child and family therapeutic services. Dr. Rhoton served as president of the Arizona Trauma Therapy Network from 2010 through 2012. Dr. Rhoton was a Professor at Ottawa University in the Behavioral Sciences and Counseling Department whose primary interests were training counselors to work with traumagenic family dynamics, child and family trauma, and non-egoic models of treatment. Dr. Rhoton is a Diplomate of the American Academy of Experts in Traumatic Stress and collaborates and consults with numerous Arizona agencies fine tuning their understanding of trauma and the impact of developmental trauma on the individual and family. Dr. Rhoton works internationally with organizations to improve the delivery of trauma treatment services.

What This Version Includes

This purchase includes both the full Advanced Certified Clinical Trauma Specialist (ACCTS) course and the official certification process through Trauma Institute International (TII).

You will receive:

  • 19 CE hours of trauma training (ACCTS course)

  • Access to the certification portal

  • A unique coupon code to activate your certification (valid for 1 year)

  • Step-by-step instructions to complete the application, upload documents, and take the exam

  • Certification valid for 1 year upon approval with option for annual renewal


Certification Requirements

To earn the Certified Clinical Trauma Specialist – Individual (CCTS-I) credential, you must:

  1. Complete the full CCTS-I or CCTS-F course, and

  2. Complete the full ACCTS within 12 months.

  3. Submit the following to Trauma Institute International:

    • Proof of a Master’s degree (or higher) in a mental health–related field, medicine, or addiction (or an international equivalent if practicing outside the U.S.)

    • Proof of a current state or national license as a:

      • Psychologist

      • Clinical Social Worker

      • Licensed Professional Counselor

      • Marriage and Family Therapist

      • Licensed Master’s-Level Addiction Counselor

      • Psychiatrist

      • Psychiatric Nurse
        (or equivalent if practicing outside the U.S.; scanned copy of license required)


  4. Pass the certification exam (80% passing grade).

  5. Complete the process within 90 days of certification access activation.

Pricing Options

Course + Certification (ACCTS + TII Certification)

Just want the course without certification?

Browse Additional Trainings by Arizona Trauma Institute

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CCPA and GDPR Disclaimer: all personal information is considered private and confidential and Arizona Trauma Institute never provides the information to a third party or uses the information for anything other than its intended purposes for training registration.

Refund Policy

Course Refund/Cancellation Policy:

We do not allow for refunds to occur after the completion of the first module of any of our courses. 

  • You will have a 14 day window in which to make a request for a refund, providing you have not completed any of the modules in a given course. 
  • If you believe you have made a purchase by mistake then you can contact us at [email protected]. 
  • Refund requests that come after 14 days of the initial purchases or that come after completing any of the modules will not be approved. 
  • There is an $8 Processing Fee for every refund that we process.


Certification Refund/Cancellation Policy:

At Trauma Institute International, we strive to provide a fair and transparent certification process. Please review our refund policy carefully before making a purchase.

Certification Completion Deadline

  • You have 90 days from the date of purchase to complete the certification process.
  • If you do not complete the required steps within 90 days, your fee is forfeited, and you will need to repurchase to restart the process.

Refund Requests

  • Refunds can be requested within 14 days of purchase.
  • Once you open the examination, refunds are no longer available.

Certification Eligibility & Refunds

  • If you apply for certification but do not qualify, you will not be refunded if you have taken the exam.
  • If you apply for certification, do not take the exam, and do not qualify, you will be refunded and withdrawn from the process.

Processing Fees

  • All refunds will have an $8.00 processing fee deducted from the total refund amount.


If you have any questions or need assistance, please contact [email protected].