37. Post-Traumatic Growth with Diana and Debbie

Published: Jan. 16, 2018, 3:46 p.m.

Are you looking to find meaning in adversity? Curious how people can grow and thrive after trauma? Want to explore beyond symptoms of traumatic stress toward post-traumatic growth? This episode is dedicated to the people of Santa Barbara, and anyone else who has faced a difficult experience in life.  This episode is dedicated to Diana' s hometown of Santa Barbara, which has been deeply impacted by extreme natural disasters. In this episode Diana and Debbie offer some ideas from the psychology literature on finding meaning and growth in the aftermath of trauma. Post-Traumatic Growth is a burgeoning area of positive psychology, which shows that people are often able to change in positive ways after going through the most difficult of experiences. In this episode, Diana and Debbie explore the concept of Post-Traumatic Growth, offer a new view on stress, and discuss the importance of finding meaning. We offer some suggestions and practices for anyone who has experienced trauma or adversity.  Resources: The Power of Meaning: Crafting a Life that Matters by Emily Emily Esfahani SmithWhat Doesn’t Kill Us: The New Psychology of Posttraumatic Growth by Stephen JosephTHRIVE acronym from Stephen Joseph:  Taking stock Harvesting hope Re-authoring Identifying change Valuing change Expressing change in actionThe Blue Zones by Dan ButtnerThe Upside of Stress by Kelly McGonigal