description Edna Foa Overview
Edna B. Foa is an American clinical psychologist and professor at the University of Pennsylvania who specializes in anxiety disorders, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and post-traumatic stress disorder. She developed Prolonged Exposure therapy, a structured treatment that helps people with PTSD gradually approach trauma-related memories, feelings, and situations they have been avoiding. Her work is intended primarily for clinicians, researchers, and patients dealing with trauma and anxiety-related conditions.
help Edna Foa FAQ
What is Edna Foa best known for in PTSD treatment?
Edna B. Foa developed Prolonged Exposure therapy, commonly called PE, for post-traumatic stress disorder. The structured treatment uses repeated discussion of traumatic memories and gradual exposure to safely avoided situations.
Did Edna Foa also contribute to treatments for obsessive-compulsive disorder?
Yes. Her research helped establish exposure and response prevention, or ERP, as a major behavioral treatment for OCD, alongside her better-known work on PTSD.
Where has Edna Foa conducted her clinical research?
Foa is associated with the University of Pennsylvania's Perelman School of Medicine. She founded Penn's Center for the Treatment and Study of Anxiety, which provides treatment, research, and professional training.
Is Prolonged Exposure the same treatment as EMDR?
No. PE centers on repeated exposure to trauma memories and avoided real-world cues, while EMDR uses bilateral stimulation during trauma processing; both are used for PTSD but follow different protocols.
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