Traumas and Triumphs: Facilitating Post-Traumatic Growth

What does it take to transcend the impact of trauma and achieve happiness, meaning and purpose? Dr. Foxman’s presentation will address this question using his personal life story as a case example of post-traumatic growth (PTG). He will distinguish between recovery, resilience and transformation, and explain the difference between the DSM and PTG approaches to trauma therapy. Dr. Foxman will review the research on how trauma impacts emotional and physical health, with emphasis on the disruption to core beliefs that keep many victims stuck in self-limiting narratives and lifestyles.

Expanding on his previous work published in Dancing with Fear and Conquering Panic and Anxiety Disorders, Dr. Foxman will present the paradox of trauma that accounts for how some victims are transformed by trauma and go on to live a fulfilling life. He will identity the five manifestations of PTG, along with strategies that can help trauma victims grow in positive directions. Dr. Foxman will describe the components of PTG-informed therapy and will reference the tools available for measuring the extent of PTG.

OBJECTIVES:

• Distinguish between trauma recovery, resilience and post-traumatic growth
• Contrast the DSM and PTG approaches to trauma therapy
• Implement 3 strategies for facilitating post-traumatic growth
• Name 5 manifestations of post-traumatic growth
• Refer to 3 measures of post-traumatic growth

PRESENTER:

Dr. Paul Foxman is Founder and Director of the Vermont Center for Anxiety Care, a psychology practice and therapist training center in Burlington, Vermont. He has over 40 years of professional experience in a variety of settings, including hospitals, community mental health centers, graduate schools in psychology, and private practice.

Dr. Foxman is the author of Dancing with Fear (2007), The Worried Child (2004), The Clinician’s Guide to Anxiety Disorders in Kids and Teens (2017) as well as other publications on the topic of anxiety including a co-authored casebook, Conquering Panic and Anxiety Disorders (2003). His new book, Traumas and Triumphs: A Psychologist’s Personal Recipe for Happiness, is scheduled for release in May, 2022.

Dr. Foxman’s training includes Yale University (B.A. in Psychology), Peabody College of Vanderbilt University (Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology), pre-doctoral internships at the Department of Psychiatry at Mt. Zion Hospital in San Francisco and the Kennedy Child Study Center in Nashville, and training seminars at the San Francisco Psychoanalytic Institute.

As a frequent, international presenter as well as expert on radio and television shows, Dr. Foxman is known for his knowledge and clarity of thought, sense of humor, and engaging speaking style.