Beyond Post-Traumatic Stress:
Fostering Growth and Resilience in Military and Veteran Communities
Co-sponsored by William James College and the Massachusetts Department of Veteran Services
In the wake of recent wars in Iraq and Afghanistan there has been plentiful and well-justified concern about the 20% or more of service members who develop symptoms associated with post-traumatic stress, as well as depression, anxiety, and substance abuse. While a portion of this distressed group of service members and veterans will struggle long term with the aftermath of war, many veterans do not. Instead, they go on to resolve the acute symptoms and lead productive, rewarding lives. New research has clarified that following traumatic or potentially traumatic events many persons—civilians and Armed Forces members alike—go on, in fact, to experience remarkable unanticipated growth that is catalyzed by the extraordinary nature of what has been survived, and by individuals’ efforts to recover. This conference will present attendees with foundational and emerging literature on resilience and post-traumatic growth as it applies to military service members, veterans, and their families. It will also feature experience-near accounts by former military personnel attesting to the possibility of transformational growth following harrowing war-related experiences, as well as workshops that will give attendees valuable tools for promoting such growth in clinical practice.
Learning objectives:
Viewing the Armed forces as a unique cultural subgroup, attendees will be able to articulate how modern research into post-traumatic growth applies to service members and veterans who have had traumatic combat exposure. Since this conference will feature at least one plenary speaker who has survived and prevailed traumatic combat exposure, there may be some discomfort associated with attending this part of the program. This would be especially true for anyone who may have experienced similar events in his or her own life.
Upon completion of the program the student will be able to:
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Identify four distinctions between resilience and post-traumatic growth.
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Distinguish risk and protective factors associated with resilience in military and non-military individuals.
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Discuss how post-traumatic growth research applies to military service members and veterans.
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Identify four clinical practices that can help foster resilience and post-traumatic growth with veterans and their families.
THE PROGRAM
8:30-9:00 Registration
9:00 Call to Order/Welcoming Remarks: Robert Dingman
Opening Remarks: Nicholas Covino
9:15 Introduction: Travis Bickford
A Language Shared: Combat Journalists and Veterans
Jackie Spinner
10:00 Introduction: Travis Bickford
Posttraumatic Growth: A Surprising Outcome for Trauma Survivors
Richard Tedeschi, Ph.D.
11:15 Break
11:30 Introduction & Brief Comments: Secretary Francisco Urena
Trauma as a Crossroad of Brain, Mind, Society, and Culture
Jonathan Shay, M.D., Ph.D.
12:30 Lunch
1:15 Panel Discussion
Facilitator: Richard Amodio
Panelists: Richard Tedeschi, Jackie Spinner, Jonathan Shay, Francisco Urena
2:00 Workshop sessions (choose one)
WJC Student Vets - Everything You Ever Wanted to Know about Vets but were Afraid to Ask
Richard Amodio, Ph.D. - Therapeutic Use of Mindfulness with Veterans
Jim Jacobs, Ph.D. - Vulnerability, Coping, and Growth through Vocational Rehabilitation and the Workplace
Yousef Alajarma, Ph.D. - Self Care: Expressive Arts with Veterans Recovering from War
Eunice Kwon, Ph.D., et al. - Bridging the Gap: Boots to Books and Beyond
3:30 Break
3:45-4:30 Q&A, Concluding Remarks & Wrap-up. Gerald Sweet, Ph.D.
Program Code: BPTS
6 CE Credits
Fee: $140
Graduate Students, General Public, Other Professionals | No CE Credits | $70.00