Mervin Smucker. Specific Treatment Goals of Imagery Rescripting & Reprocessing Therapy (IRRT) in the Treatment of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).

The general goal of IRRT with trauma victims suffering from PTSD is to facilitate successful emotional processing of their traumas.  The specific IRRT treatment goals include:

  • decreasing physiological arousal;
  • eliminating intrusive traumatic recollections and distressing imagery;
  • replacing traumatic imagery with coping/mastery imagery;
  • transforming traumatic imagery into narrative language;
  • modifying traumagenic beliefs
  • replacing maladaptive schemas with adaptive schemas
  • developing an enhanced capacity to self-calm and self-soothe, especially during times of heightened emotional distress
  • developing more effective coping strategies for dealing with daily life stressors

Mervin Smucker Ph.D.