From Hurt to Healing: A New Posttraumatic Growth Model for Treating Trauma After Intimate Betrayal and Infidelity

Brief Description:

Are you wanting to have a solid clinical approach that is empirically-based to help betrayed partners heal from the trauma of betrayal and infidelity? Betrayal trauma is becoming increasingly common, or perhaps just more well known as we approach a new era with endless opportunities for infidelity behaviors. Betrayed partners often struggle with posttraumatic stress symptoms, as well as many other distressing thoughts and feelings, and find it difficult to move forward. They often get stuck in their healing process and need supportive interventions to help them move beyond the betrayal towards self-growth. We will discuss a new integrative model grounded in evidenced-based trauma treatment that incorporates helpful strategies for moving clients towards growth, techniques for healing the trauma mind-body connection, and solutions to help clients regain their sexual wellness.

Detailed Description:

Posttraumatic growth (PTG) refers to the positive psychological changes that can occur in an individual’s life following a traumatic or highly stressful event. PTG is characterized by a person’s ability to find meaning, purpose, and growth in the aftermath of adversity rather than being overcome by negative emotions or experiences. An overlooked opportunity for applying posttraumatic growth principles to trauma healing comes in the aftermath of intimate betrayal (infidelity or sexual betrayal).

Individuals are often in crisis and report posttraumatic stress symptoms after discovering they have been intimately betrayed in their relationship. Symptoms can include intrusive and obsessive thoughts, physiological reactions, avoidance of distressing cues, negative beliefs about themselves and others, emotion dysregulation, feelings of anger, guilt, and shame, hypervigilance and more. Given the traumatic nature of intimate betrayal, individuals often experience significant distress around their own sexuality and their partners, including adverse beliefs about eroticism, negative perceptions of their bodies, intrusive thoughts related to sexual acts, maladaptive beliefs around sexual desire, and depersonalization during sexual activity. Further, individuals who have been betrayed often avoid conversations about sex which can perpetuate stigma and negative schemas around sexuality.

We have evidence to suggest that helping betrayed partners identify and explore their maladaptive posttrauma beliefs after intimate betrayal can be crucial to the healing process. Moreover, guiding clients towards reframing these beliefs into a healthier narrative can foster posttraumatic growth. Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT), an empirical based treatment for trauma, provides specific interventions for targeting maladaptive trauma beliefs and helps the individual process the painful thoughts and emotions in the aftermath of trauma. Combining posttraumatic growth principles and CPT strategies to target posttrauma beliefs after intimate betrayal may be a useful approach when working with this population to help them resolve their trauma symptoms, particularly around maladaptive beliefs pertaining to sexuality.

This 3-hour webinar will provide an innovative conceptual framework for incorporating principles of posttraumatic growth and the application of CPT, for healing trauma following intimate betrayal. We will discuss the different phases of treatment following intimate betrayal and how to compassionately meet clients where they are at. You will learn how to guide clients out of the crisis phase towards healing using specific interventions to target the cognitive, emotional, and physical symptoms of trauma. We will further discuss how posttraumatic growth principles can foster healing and necessitate discussion of healthy sexuality as part of the growth process to resolve trauma after intimate betrayal.

Learning Objectives:

At the end of this presentation, the learner will be able to:

1. Identify common betrayal trauma symptoms.

2. List common maladaptive beliefs about self, others, and the world that can perpetuate betrayal trauma symptoms.

3. Demonstrate Socratic questioning to explore and reevaluate maladaptive beliefs following intimate betrayal.

Additional Info on Cognitive Processing Therapy:

Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT) is an evidenced based approach to psychotherapy that is commonly used to treat posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and other trauma-related mental health conditions. CPT is based on the idea that PTSD symptoms are often maintained by negative thoughts and beliefs that individuals develop about themselves, others, and the world following a traumatic event. The client learns to identify and challenge these thoughts and beliefs, and to develop more balanced and accurate ways of thinking. During CPT, the therapist works collaboratively with the individual to help them understand the impact of the traumatic event on their thoughts and beliefs. The therapist helps the individual identify and challenge any negative or distorted thoughts or beliefs that may be contributing to their PTSD symptoms. They help the client practice new ways of thinking and help them emotionally process the traumatic event through writing and therapeutic discussion.

CPT has been shown to be an effective treatment for PTSD and other trauma-related conditions, with research indicating that it can lead to significant reductions in symptoms and improvements in overall functioning.

About Dr. Olsen

Dr. Shira Olsen is a Clinical Psychologist with expertise in intimate betrayal, trauma, and sexuality. She is an AASECT Certified Sex Therapist and a SASH Distinguished Sex Therapist and has received extensive training in sexual trauma, compulsive sexual behaviors, and sexuality. She is a contributing author to Facilitating Resilience and Recovery Following Trauma and has published numerous empirical articles on the topic of betrayal trauma. In her work, she draws upon a vast knowledge of empirical research in sexual health, trauma, and relationships. She utilizes best practices to provide education and realistic hope for client restoration and reconnection. Dr. Olsen is the co-developer for the Posttraumatic Growth Model Following Intimate Betrayal (PTG-IB), an innovative treatment approach for treating posttrauma symptoms after intimate betrayal while supporting sexual wellness and individual growth.

About Dr. Schroder

Dr. Victoria Schroder is a Certified Clinical Trauma Professional and sex therapist with extensive experience in the integration of sexuality, intimacy, and mental health conditions. Dr. Schroder works primarily with individuals struggling with sexual compulsivity, intimate betrayal, and sexual intimacy. She is the co-developer of The Posttraumatic Growth Model for Intimate Betrayal (PTG-IB), an innovative treatment approach based on an empirically supported trauma treatment for treating posttraumatic stress symptoms after intimate betrayal.

References:

Laaser, D., Putney, H., Bundick, M., Delmonico, D., & Griffin, E.  (2017). Posttraumatic growth in relationally betrayed women. Journal of marital and family therapy, 43(3):435-447. https://doi.org/10.1111/jmft.12211

Lenz, S., Bruijn, B., Serman, N. S., & Bailey, L. (2014). Effectiveness of cognitive processing therapy for treating posttraumatic stress disorder. Journal of Mental Health Counseling, 36(4), 360-376. https://doi.org/10.17744/mehc.36.4.1360805271967kvq

Resick P. A., Monson, C., Chard, C. (2017). Cognitive processing therapy for PTSD: A comprehensive manual. The Guilford Press.

Shakespeare-Finch, J., & Lurie-Beck, J. (2014). A meta-analytic clarification of the relationship between posttraumatic growth and symptoms of posttraumatic distress disorder. Journal of Anxiety Disorders, 28(2), 223-229. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.janxdis.2013.10.005

Tedeschi, R. G., & Calhoun, L. G. (2004). Posttraumatic growth: Conceptual foundations and empirical evidence. Psychological Inquiry, 15(1), 1-18. https://doi.org/10.1207/s15327965pli1501_01