Nurturing Post-Traumatic Growth (PTG)

In the wake of adversity, there exists an opportunity for profound transformation. Rather than being defined solely by our traumas, we have the capacity to grow and thrive in their aftermath. This phenomenon, known as post-traumatic growth (PTG), involves experiencing positive changes in one's perspective, priorities, and sense of self following a traumatic event.

Research has shown that PTG can manifest in various ways, including:

1. ncreased Resilience: Individuals often develop a greater resilience in the face of adversity, discovering inner strength and resourcefulness they never knew they possessed.

2. Heightened Appreciation for Life: Traumatic experiences can lead to a deeper appreciation for life's precious moments and a renewed sense of gratitude for what truly matters.

3. Enhanced Relationships: Survivors may find that their relationships become more meaningful and authentic as they prioritize connection and support.

4. Personal Growth: Through introspection and reflection, individuals can emerge from trauma with a clearer sense of purpose, values, and identity.

While the journey of post-traumatic growth is deeply personal and often challenging, it is not one that individuals need to navigate alone. Seeking support from friends, family, or a trained professional can be invaluable in facilitating this process.

At The Orenda Project, our course is committed to fostering growth and resilience in the clients of our coaches.

Here are some tips on cultivating PTG in coaching clients:

Tips on Trauma Coaching: Empowering Growth and Healing

Trauma coaching is a specialized form of support designed to help individuals navigate the aftermath of traumatic experiences and facilitate their journey toward healing and growth. Here are some tips for trauma coaches and those seeking support:

1. Create a Safe Space: Establishing trust and safety is paramount in trauma coaching. Create a supportive environment where clients feel comfortable sharing their experiences and emotions without fear of judgment.

2. Empower Self-Discovery: Encourage clients to explore their thoughts, feelings, and reactions to trauma in a compassionate and non-judgmental manner. Help them identify their strengths, values, and coping mechanisms.

3. Facilitate Healing Practices: Introduce clients to various healing modalities such as mindfulness, relaxation techniques, and expressive arts therapy. These practices can help regulate the nervous system and promote emotional well-being.

4. Promote Resilience-Building Skills: Assist clients in developing practical skills to cope with stress, manage triggers, and regulate their emotions. Encourage self-care activities and healthy lifestyle choices that support overall well-being.

5. Encourage Meaning-Making: Help clients find meaning and purpose in their experiences by reframing their narratives and identifying lessons learned. Foster a sense of hope and optimism for the future.

   
   

   Nurturing Post-Traumatic Growth (PTG) In the wake of adversity, there exists an opportunity for profound transformation. Rather than being defined solely by our traumas, we have the capacity to grow and thrive in their aftermath. This phenomenon, known as post-traumatic growth (PTG), involves experiencing positive changes in one's perspective, priorities, and sense of self following a traumatic event. Research has shown that PTG can manifest in various ways, including: Increased Resilience: Individuals often develop a greater resilience in the face of adversity, discovering inner strength and resourcefulness they never knew they possessed. Heightened Appreciation for Life: Traumatic experiences can lead to a deeper appreciation for life's precious moments and a renewed sense of gratitude for what truly matters. Enhanced Relationships: Survivors may find that their relationships become more meaningful and authentic as they prioritize connection and support. Personal Growth: Through introspection and reflection, individuals can emerge from trauma with a clearer sense of purpose, values, and identity. While the journey of post-traumatic growth is deeply personal and often challenging, it is not one that individuals need to navigate alone. Seeking support from friends, family, or a trained professional can be invaluable in facilitating this process. At The Orenda Project, our course is committed to fostering growth and resilience in the clients of our coaches. Here are some tips on cultivating PTG in coaching clients: Tips on Trauma Coaching: Empowering Growth and Healing Trauma coaching is a specialized form of support designed to help individuals navigate the aftermath of traumatic experiences and facilitate their journey toward healing and growth. Here are some tips for trauma coaches and those seeking support: Create a Safe Space: Establishing trust and safety is paramount in trauma coaching. Create a supportive environment where clients feel comfortable sharing their experiences and emotions without fear of judgment. Empower Self-Discovery: Encourage clients to explore their thoughts, feelings, and reactions to trauma in a compassionate and non-judgmental manner. Help them identify their strengths, values, and coping mechanisms. Facilitate Healing Practices: Introduce clients to various healing modalities such as mindfulness, relaxation techniques, and expressive arts therapy. These practices can help regulate the nervous system and promote emotional well-being. Promote Resilience-Building Skills: Assist clients in developing practical skills to cope with stress, manage triggers, and regulate their emotions. Encourage self-care activities and healthy lifestyle choices that support overall well-being. Encourage Meaning-Making: Help clients find meaning and purpose in their experiences by reframing their narratives and identifying lessons learned. Foster a sense of hope and optimism for the future. Remember, the journey of healing is unique to each individual, and there is no one-size-fits-all approach. By offering compassionate support, guidance, and empowerment, trauma coaches can play a vital role in facilitating the growth and resilience of those affected by trauma.   Becoming a trauma coach is one way that PTG can manifest. Orenda's current students and alumni are comprised of really incredible humans, many of whom know what it means struggle. They also know how to use their history as a way to help others. If you are looking for a coach yourself, we have a list of graduates on our resources page here. Also, check out our YouTube channel to view interviews with two of our graduates, Avril Lobo and Dominique Johnson! Click here to view. This is a perfect segue into the next topic, which is the upcoming launch of our podcast hosted by Athena! Happenings! Announcement! Podcast launch with host Athena! Next month, Orenda will launch a podcast called  "Stories of Post-traumatic growth: Highlighting healing, heroes, and hope." If you are someone who would like to share their pain-to-purpose story, please reach out at [email protected]. *please note, the podcast will be facilitated in a trauma-informed manner. This means: -Episodes will focus on the guest and their transformation. Details of past trauma will be excluded. -Selected guests will be those who have moved through their history, are able to discuss the outline of their story comfortably, and are those who want to share their process.  Upcoming courses on our partner's Continuing Education program for mental health professionals! KALOS has expanded its library of courses significantly. Here is a sample of course offerings and if you want to check out the website, click here: Upcoming LIVE course with Athena: Dissociative Disorders and the Normalcy of Fragmentation: May 10th 9-4pm Rwanda: A Template for Trauma-Informed Governance  Traumatic Pregnancy and Mental Health The Treatment of PTSD in Older Adults Several ethics courses  ....and more! As a thank you to all of you, Orenda's community is being offered a coupon for 15%.  *Coupon expires April 30th *Retreats, subscription, and some courses are excluded Change Health Cyberattack: A silent threat to our healthcare system by Athena Phillips, LCSW, PsyD Candidate You may or may not have heard about the recent attack on Change Health. The thing about this story is that it should be SO MUCH BIGGER than it is. The potential consequences are vast and far reaching.  What happened? Well, basically a third-party clearinghouse that manages insurance claims for medical and mental health services experienced a cyber attack on February 23rd.  Because our healthcare system is complex, so is this story. But the short of it is that many of your doctors, therapists, pharmacists, and other providers have not been reimbursed since February 22nd.  I tried to find a fairly neutral explanation of what happened and the consequences. Here is a link to a story that captures the gist: https://www.usnews.com/news/health-news/articles/2024-03-04/explainer-what-to-know-about-the-change-healthcare-cyberattack Why does this matter? Well, first of all, if this happened once, it most likely will happen again.  Also, many small businesses cannot survive without timely payment. They still have to pay their clinicians, administrative staff, rent, insurance, etc. Some providers had to close temporarily to keep their businesses afloat. Many had to take out loans. Some businesses may not survive at all and will need to close permanently.  A big part of the problem is the disconnect between consumers of health care (all of us) and the financial aspect of it. Providers typically bear the brunt of our payment system. They often do not get paid at all for services rendered. If they do get paid, their fee is at the discretion of the insurance company, who, as a for-profit business, has a motivation to limit what it pays out to providers. There are more layers to this, but I can only squeeze in so much here.  Meanwhile, providers have to pay people (medical billers) in order to get paid due to how convoluted and adversarial this system is. Can you imagine having to hire someone in order for you to receive payment for your work?  Can you imagine any other established industry where the majority of businesses stopped receiving payment and were somehow expected to go on?  Can you imagine any other circumstances where a portion this size of our workforce ceases to be paid for their work, but it's not being broadly talked about? I can't.  And yet, when our legislators were contacted, they knew little about it. There were minimal efforts to help providers.  Our local news stories didn't know about it until two weeks into the story. Myself and local colleagues informed them, which was followed with a couple of stories being aired on the topic.  An important consideration in all of this is that Change Health takes up a significant portion of the market. This cyber attack also affected (and continues to affect) many of our businesses, and yet we do not have any say over which clearinghouse company is used to process our claims. These choices are made by anyone except the provider. This renders these companies immune from consequences that any other business would have to live with should they cause harm to their "customers."   This event shook up the foundation of our already fragile system. Providers can no longer trust in being reimbursed for their work. Clinics can no longer trust that they will be able to pay their staff and keep the doors open (which was already precarious, at best). Now more than ever, consumers of health care need to be aware and involved. So do those who are employed by health and mental health care organizations. This is likely one of the only actionable items that will protect our healthcare system from collapse - consumer involvement is key.  Involvement, awareness, connection and advocacy with insurance companies, and becoming more involved with the financial aspect of health care are things that will apply pressure for systemic change.    For now, be kind to your providers. Many of them are working without pay.