Post Traumatic Growth during Winter Storms
As a mental health facility that strives to be trauma responsive, there is a constant awareness of the impact of trauma. We strive to interact differently than other facilities, because we understand, and respect, the way trauma can be lived out. Equally important to trauma responsiveness is a concept I don't hear about as much across the mental health profession: Post Traumatic Growth.
Post Traumatic Growth involves growing past the place someone was in when a trauma unfolded. It values the significant emotional and cognitive gains one has had in life that exceeds how life was viewed prior to the trauma. When a person’s view of the world is drastically changed through trauma, the healing and restructuring process can lead to a view that allows for more gray space in life, and one that can appreciate different perspectives. Strengths can emerge that one was unaware of. Post Traumatic Growth is the ability to change.
I was reminded of this concept over recent snow days in the DFW area, where the impact of the ice was seen and felt as I walked to the office from my car, and yet the beauty concurrently amazed me. The sun peeking through the clouds brought me to a place of gratitude for the simplicity I saw. The effects of the ice were still visible, and had the power to significantly injure me, yet my perception and view were different from the previous weekend. While I clearly remembered how I felt with the sleet and rain and temperatures in the single digits, I could acknowledge that the storm brought more than that. The same storm that stole power and heat from many locals yielded a serene beauty, one that I could appreciate after the fact.
Post Traumatic Growth principles would suggest that though I still respected the intensity of the storm, and still felt its impact through four days of office closure, I did not put this storm in a box of only hardship. My perspective could respect, and even appreciate, that the beauty before me would not have come without the ugliness of the storm.
Suppose the narrative of your journey included deep work to gain a perspective more nuanced than before. Suppose the story included a depth of insight not previously held. What difference would that make? You would have experienced Post Traumatic Growth. My best hopes for you include that you will find the strength and depth within yourself through Post Traumatic Growth.
Rachel Nauss is a therapist at The Hope Place that sees children and adults. She is a Registered Play Therapist with Texas and is our Operations Manager. For questions, she can be reached at info@hopeplacetx.com.
