Support Trauma Survivors in Building Flexibility, Resilience, and Profoundly Meaningful Lives
2 CE hours available
This training is a fundraiser for Bay Area Trauma Recovery Clinical Services, with proceeds benefitting the organization's vital work treating simple and complex PTSD. We offer 3 donation tiers for participants to choose from.
Trauma-focused therapy often involves exposure to distressing memories to reduce the emotional intensity associated with traumatic events. Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) integrates exposure with mindfulness and acceptance strategies to foster psychological flexibility in individuals experiencing trauma.
Unlike traditional exposure therapies that primarily focus on reducing symptoms through direct confrontation of trauma-related stimuli, ACT emphasizes flexibility in responding to internal experience, including pain, and the commitment to values-driven action, helping individuals shift their relationship with trauma-related thoughts and feelings.
This approach allows clients to anchor themselves in the present moment and engage in behaviors that align with their values, despite the presence of trauma-related distress.
Research shows that combining exposure-based strategies with ACT's acceptance-based framework can enhance trauma treatment outcomes by reducing avoidance, decreasing emotional reactivity, and increasing engagement in meaningful activities. The collaborative integration of exposure and acceptance supports clients in cultivating resilience, moving beyond a symptom-reduction focus to achieve a richer, more fulfilling life in alignment with personal values.
This approach offers a promising framework for treating post-traumatic stress, with an emphasis on acceptance and growth rather than fear avoidance and control.