POST-TRAUMATIC GROWTH IS A
STUDIED SCIENCE
Developed by psychologists Richard Tedeschi, PhD,
and Lawrence Calhoun, PhD, in the mid-1990s
What is Post-traumatic Growth?
LEARN THE PHASES OF POST-TRAUMATIC GROWTH
The phases of PTG represent the process participants must undertake on the road to post-traumatic growth (PTG), which includes grieving what they’ve lost and rebuilding core beliefs.
TRUST AND CONNECTION
Trust and connection is key to the PTG journey. Key to this phase are the facilitators of the program, called Guides, that are alumni of the program & walking their path of PTG.
EDUCATION
With education, we learn that the painful impacts of struggle are normal, and we discover that we can grow from these experiences.
DISCLOSURE
Through the power of regulation and disclosure, we can begin to openly share our traumatic experiences and discuss their impact.
REGULATION
With Regulation, we cultivate a stress-free environment, clarity, and connectedness. This allows us to reflect and respond rationally to issues we are navigating through.
STORY
By doing the hard work of education, regulation, and disclosure, we can begin to pick up the pieces and build anew- building upon the story of our lives and write a new chapter.
SERVICE
By making sense of our experiences, we can build the courage to share our stories with others. This can enrich their lives and enable them to “struggle well.”
FAQs About Post-Traumatic Growth
PTSD and PTG can both arise from psychological struggle with a highly stressful or traumatic event. PTSD is a diagnosis marked by the experience of multiple trauma-related symptoms, to include re-experiencing the trauma (intrusive thoughts, memories, flashbacks, or nightmares), avoidance behaviors (avoiding people and situations that remind us of trauma), cognitive distortions (loss of memory, counterproductive ideas about life and what happened, persistent negative mood), and increased arousal (irritability, aggressive behavior, hypervigilance, startling easily, sleep problems). Post-traumatic growth is a process whereby we transform our struggle into a new path, and an outcome where we experience positive changes because of the struggle in the aftermath of trauma. Some people experience symptoms of PTSD and post-traumatic growth at the same time.
In combat, it may not be a single engagement or battle that is the catalyst for change, but an entire deployment into a combat zone. The terminal illness of a loved one may extend over days or months and include many interactions with that person and others. In such cases, it can be difficult to identify a single event that has shattered our core beliefs, and indeed, our core beliefs may be shattered over a period through the cumulation of events that challenge our ways of thinking.
It is possible to notice parts of the PTG process emerging in the aftermath of traumatic events. For example:
- We might see intrusive thoughts giving way to more deliberate thoughts.
- This might signify that we are starting to accept what has happened and construct new sets of core beliefs.
- We might observe disclosure in ourselves or others including themes of growth and transformation.
- Similarly, we can observe when the story of what happened is being told in a way that incorporates elements of PTG (e.g. personal strength, new possibilities for life, etc.).
Noticing elements of the PTG process unfolding in the aftermath of trauma can give us clues that it is happening. It is important to remember that growth can be accompanied by struggle, emotional distress, dysregulation, and even symptoms of PTSD.
There is no specific timeframe for experiencing PTG. The process begins with the shattering of core beliefs and may unfold for months to years afterwards.
Although Dr. Tedeschi and Dr. Calhoun coined the term post-traumatic growth in the 1990’s, the idea that human beings can be changed by their encounters with life challenges, sometimes in radically positive ways, is not new. The theme is present in ancient spiritual and religious traditions, literature, and philosophy. What is reasonably new is the systematic study of this phenomenon by psychologists, social workers, counselors, and scholars in other traditions of clinical practice and scientific investigation.
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