The Upside of TraumaPost-Traumatic Growth

Presenters▪ Lisa Phelps, M.Ed., LPCA, NCC

▪ Executive Director, Hope’s Place Children’s Advocacy Center, Ashland, KY

▪ Mental Health Counselor and Forensic Interviewer

▪ Pursuing a PhD at University of the Cumberlands in Counselor Education and Supervision

▪ Erica Myers, M.Ed., LPCC, RPT

▪ Director of Intake and Utilization Review, Addiction Recovery Care, Louisa, KY

▪ Mental Health Counselor, Forensic Interviewer and Registered Play Therapist

▪ Pursuing a PhD at University of the Cumberlands in Counselor Education and Supervision

“Just because individuals experience growth does not mean that they will not suffer. Distress is typical when we face traumatic events.

We most definitely are not implying that traumatic events are good – they are not. But for many of us,life crises are inevitable and we are not given the choice between suffering and growth on the one hand, and no suffering and no change, on the other.”

Posttraumatic Growth Research Group, UNC Charlotte, College of Liberal Arts & Sciences

History of Posttraumatic Growth (PTG) Research▪ The idea of people being positively transformed by traumatic events is not new.

▪ Throughout history, human beings have been transformed by traumatic events. The theme resonates in religion, literature and philosophy.

▪ The term Posttraumatic Growth (PTG) was officially coined in 1995 by University of North Carolina Researchers Richard Tedeschi, PhD, and Lawrence Calhoun, PhD.

▪ The systematic study of this phenomenon by psychologists, counselors, social workers and other clinicians is a new development within the last two decades.

Posttraumatic Growth Research Group,

UNC Charlotte, College of Liberal Arts & Sciences

PTG Defined▪ What is posttraumatic growth?▪  It is positive change experienced as a result of the struggle with a major

life crisis or a traumatic event.

▪ Posttraumatic growth is not uncommon but it is NOT universal. Many people that suffer a traumatic loss do not experience positive growth.

Posttraumatic Growth Research Group,

UNC Charlotte, College of Liberal Arts & Sciences

Spirituality and PTG▪ Christianity

▪ Buddhism

▪ Islam

Existentialism and PTG▪ Rollo May

▪ Erich Fromm

▪ Viktor Frankl

PTG vs. Resilience ▪ Posttraumatic Growth:

thriving

a new level of functioning and perspective‐‐transformative responses to adversity.

▪ Resilience: hardiness, optimism

1.The power or ability to return to the original form, position, etc. after being bent, compressed or stretched; elasticity.

2.Ability to recover readily from illness, depression, adversity, or the like; buoyancy.

5 Factors of PTG▪ Relating to others - An individual may perceive a higher emotional connection with

others, as well as a feeling of closeness and intimacy in interpersonal relationships (Tedeschi & Calhoun, 1996, 2004)

▪ Appreciation of life - As a result of the cognitive reconstruction due to the confrontation with trauma, the subject has a sense of individual vulnerability and understands that he cannot predict or control certain events (Calhoun & Tedeschi, 2001)

▪ New possibilities - The creation of a new life path is related with a perception of a new philosophy of life that changes the past assumptions and core beliefs leading to new possibilities and opportunities that did not exist before the trauma (Tedeschi & Calhoun, 1996, 2004).

▪ Personal strength - The perception of greater individual strength is related with the recognition of more capabilities to deal with future challenges and adversities and this greater sense of personal strength is accompanied by the perception of individual vulnerability, and by a clear understanding of the negative impact of traumatic events in one’s life (Tedeschi & Calhoun, 2004).

▪ Spiritual change - The faith in a higher religious entity may increase after trauma and also contribute as a coping mechanism in the cognitive process of finding meaning (Calhoun & Tedeschi, 2001)

Posttraumatic Growth in the Aftermath of Trauma: A Literature Review About Related Factors and Application Contexts. Catarina Ramos Isabel Leala

PTG Inventories▪ Posttraumatic Growth Inventory

(PTGI)

▪ PTGI – Short Form

▪ PTGI for Children Revised (PTGI-C-R)

▪ The Psychological Well-Being – Posttraumatic Changes Questionnaire (PWB-PTCQ)

▪ The Changes in Outlook Questionnaire (CiOQ)

▪ The Stress-Related Growth Scale (SRGS)

▪ The Perceived Benefits Scale

▪ The Benefit Finding Scale (BFS)

▪ The Personal Growth Initiative Scale-II (PGIS-II)

▪ The Silver Lining Questionnaire (SLQ-38)

▪ The Thriving Scale (TS)

▪ Core Beliefs Inventory (CBI)

▪ Event Related Rumination Inventory (ERRI)

Factors Affecting PTG▪ Age (older)

▪ Gender (female)

▪ Severity and type of stressor/trauma

▪ Higher income

▪ More time since traumatic event

▪ Existential awareness (life’s fragility)

▪ Religiosity

▪ Higher levels of social supportCalhoun & Tedeschi, 1999, 2004 (Milam et al., 2004)

Posttraumatic Growth

&Children

PTG after a childhood traumaMalala Yousafzai

Posttraumatic Growth

&Adults

Adults and PTGKris Carr, Cancer survivor

WARNING: Explicit language

Perspective▪ Associated with Positive Psychology

▪ Therapist views crisis/trauma as an opportunity to grow as opposed to treating mental illness; Thriving vs. Pathology

▪ Client makes choice to use their experience to become MORE

Discussion:Do you think PTG in young children is possible?

Discussion:Are highly resilient individuals able to experience PTG?

Resources