A female patient with a history of abuse presents for care. Which therapeutic approach is most appropriate to recommend?

Correct answer: B. Cognitive behavioral therapy

• A. Sedation manages a single appointment; it treats nothing underlying and can be re-traumatizing without consent and control.
• B. Correct. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is the best-supported psychological treatment for trauma and abuse histories. It helps the patient identify and restructure negative or dysfunctional thought and behavior patterns. In dentistry, the relevance is recognizing the need and making an appropriate referral — not delivering the therapy.
• C. Aversion therapy uses unpleasant stimuli to suppress a behavior and is inappropriate — and potentially harmful — for trauma survivors.
• D. Hypnosis may be adjunctive for some patients but is not the evidence-based primary treatment.