Trauma, Recovery, and Growth: Positive Psychological Perspectives on Posttraumatic Stress

Stephen Joseph · P. Alex Linley

Mar 2008 · Sold by John Wiley & Sons

About this ebook

The latest theory and research on understanding posttraumatic stressand its treatment, providing evidence-based clinical interventionsusing techniques drawn from positive psychology

It is known that exposure to stressful and traumatic events can have severe and chronic psychological consequences. At the same time-mindful of the suffering often caused by trauma-there is also a growing body of evidence testifying to posttraumatic growth: the positive psychological changes that can result for survivors of trauma.

Blending these two areas of research and exploring the relevance of positive psychology to trauma practice, Trauma, Recovery, and Growth: Positive Psychological Perspectives on Posttraumatic Stress provides clinicians with the resources they need to implement positive psychology interventions in their trauma treatment across a spectrum of?therapeutic perspectives, including cognitive-behavioral, psychodynamic, humanistic, existential, and group therapies.

Featuring contributions by internationally renowned researchers and practitioners and edited by experts in the field of positive psychology who have worked with survivors of trauma in the facilitation of their resilience, recovery, and growth, this timely book is divided into four parts:

• Toward an Integrative Positive Psychology of Posttraumatic Experience
• Growth and Distress in Social, Community, and Interpersonal Contexts
• Clinical Approaches and Therapeutic Experiences of Managing Distress and Facilitating Growth
• Beyond the Stress-Growth Distinction: Issues at the Cutting Edge of Theory and Practice

Trauma, Recovery, and Growth explores the role positive psychology can play in how clinical practitioners treat and work with survivors of stressful and traumatic events and offers an optimistic perspective in the treatment of those who suffer posttraumatic stress following devastating events such as terrorist attacks, childhood sexual abuse, cancer, and war.

About the author

Stephen Joseph, PhD, is Professor of Psychology, Health and Social Care at The University of Nottingham, where he is codirector of the Centre for Trauma, Resilience and Growth and an Honorary Consultant Psychologist in Psychotherapy at Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust.

P. Alex Linley, PhD, is Director of the Centre for Applied Positive Psychology, Coventry, United Kingdom (see www.cappeu.org). His work is dedicated to the applications of positive psychology, and includes roles as an Associate Editor of The Journal of Positive Psychology and the forthcoming Encyclopedia of Positive Psychology.