A Case Study of Social Cognitive Treatment of PTSD in a South African Rape Survivor: The Central Role of Case Formulation

This is a systematic case study of the psychological assessment and treatment of Zinhle (19), a Black South African student with posttraumatic stress disorder, following a rape at age 10. Treatment was based on Ehlers and Clark's (2000) cognitive therapy, a flexible formulation driven model. The study documented the secondary trauma experienced by families following child sexual abuse and showed how treatment not only needed to target the trauma memory but also the ruptured relationships within and outside the family. This was done within the framework of Tarrier and Humphreys's (2004) social cognitive model. At the end of treatment Zinhle no longer met criteria for PTSD, and the narrative supports Ehlers and Clark's model as well as the social cognitive model.