What is Post-Traumatic Growth?

What is PTG?

Many people know the terms “Post Traumatic Stress” and PTSD, but Post-Traumatic Growth (PTG) hasn’t had the same level of notoriety.

Post-Traumatic Growth is defined as the "experience of individuals whose development, at least in some areas has surpassed what was present before the struggle with crises occurred. The individual has not only survived, but has experienced changes that are viewed as important, and that go beyond the status quo” (Tedeschi and Calhoun, 2004).

Essentially, post-traumatic growth is when someone not only survives a trauma but comes out stronger than they were before, with a greater understanding of who they are and how strong they are.

It’s not a new concept either; we can see it in mythology, literature, and movies throughout time - a prime example being the phoenix rising from the ashes. Something that should have killed it, made it more beautiful.

Is Post-Traumatic Growth the same as Resilience?

Although post-traumatic growth is often used interchangeably with “resilience”, they are different constructs. Resiliency can be a by-product of post-traumatic growth, but there are so many other elements of post-traumatic growth to consider.

Tedeschi and Calhoun were the scientists to coin the term Post-Traumatic Growth in the 1990s. They also developed the Post Traumatic Growth Inventory in order to examine the various aspects of PTG more closely. They determined that there are seven main areas that post-traumatic growth can manifest;

- appreciation for life

- relationships with others

- new possibilities in life

- personal strength

- creative growth

- increased compassion and altruism

- and spiritual or existential change.

Are some people more likely to experience growth?

Studies have shown that nearly 50% of all trauma survivors experience some kind of post-traumatic growth after a traumatic event (Wu et al, 2018).

However, according to Tedeschi, there appear to be two personality traits that seem to increase the likelihood of experiencing post-traumatic growth after a traumatic experience. These are openness to experience and extraversion.

This is thought to be because those who are open to new experiences are open to changing their belief system, whereas those who are unable to question or change their beliefs are likely to become stuck in their traumatised state.

Extraversion is thought to play a role because those who are more extroverted are more likely to take an active role in their response to trauma and seek out connections with others.

Psychologists also theorise that a strong support system, the ability to integrate the traumatic experience into their everyday awareness, and the ability to develop a new belief system after the traumatic experience play a major role in whether the survivor experiences post-traumatic growth.

Post-Traumatic Growth and Therapy

If you feel that you’re more introverted and/or closed off to changing your beliefs, don’t despair. Tedeschi has also stated that psychological support can support victims of trauma to experience post-traumatic growth by helping to work through the traumatic experience, the symptoms of the trauma, and to discover or rediscover their own strength and resilience.

Experiencing post-traumatic growth should be the aim for therapists who are working with traumatised clients, rather than simply reducing trauma symptoms however, it is important to understand that it is not necessarily a quick process. It is also important to understand that the process needs to be slow in order to ensure that it is safe for you to experience the emotions associated with the trauma without becoming re-traumatised. It is important, therefore, to find a therapist who has experience with trauma and training in working with trauma.

A key factor that allows us to turn trauma into growth is the extent to which we are able to fully explore our thoughts and feelings around the traumatic event or experience. Cognitive exploration - the process of being curious about our thoughts and feelings, questioning them, and exploring alternatives - allows us to become more flexible in the way that we are processing the trauma, see alternative solutions, and explore new meanings in the seemingly meaningless adversity we’ve experienced.

How can we grow from Trauma?

There are steps that you can take on your own, or alongside therapy, to support yourself in the wake of trauma.

Taking time to reflect on the traumatic experience, rather than trying to bury it or run away from it will be helpful in integrating the experience. You might write about it, talk about it with other survivors or friends and family, or you might use therapy to reflect on your experience.

Another method is to foster a sense of community. Many survivors experience strong support from loved ones, while others seek out support from fellow survivors in support groups or online forums. Many will also lean on their existing or new community without actually discussing the trauma - simply being in the presence of a strong and supportive network can be helpful in moving forward after trauma.

Finally, seeking mental health support. If you don’t feel that you have a strong support network around you, you can start to build that up starting with a therapist who can help you to process what you have been through. This can then help you to feel more able to open up to other people, or even to simply feel more able to become close with other people without necessarily disclosing what you’ve been through.

While it is true that some people will naturally experience post-traumatic growth without really knowing what it is, and without really changing anything about how they process the world around them, therapy naturally mirrors this process and therefore supports clients towards post-traumatic growth as well.

If you’re interested in starting counselling, please see our Therapist Profile page to learn more about our therapists.