Relational experiences of complex trauma survivors in treatment: Preliminary findings from a naturalistic study
Date
2012
Journal Title
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Volume Title
Publisher
Psychological Trauma: Theory, Research, Practice, and Policy
Abstract
The psychological life of survivors of complex trauma can be marked with feelings of shame, self-blame,
and powerlessness, which contribute to challenges in self-care and positive relating with others. This
preliminary study aimed to increase understanding of how survivors of complex trauma engaged in
treatment experience relationships with significant people in their lives. We were particularly interested
in the following relational areas: Safety and power in relationships, observations about changes in the
nature and quality of relationships over time, and feelings about oneself in relational contexts. We used
grounded theory methodology to analyze interview data with 21 participants (18 female and 3 male),
most of whom were diagnosed with posttraumatic stress disorder. The participants reported histories of
child sexual and physical abuse, adult sexual assault, domestic violence, and neglect, and were actively
engaged in individual psychotherapy. A subset of participants was additionally involved with group
therapy. Three sets of themes emerged from the interview data centering on (1) Issues of safety, (2)
Forming new ways of relating, and (3) Changing sense of self. We discuss the implications of these
themes for understanding relational experiences in the recovery process.
Description
item.page.type
Article
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Keywords
complex trauma, resilience, relationships, psychotherapy
Citation
Tummala-Narra, P., Kallivayalil, D., Singer, R., & Andreini, R. (2012). Relational experiences of complex trauma survivors in treatment: Preliminary findings from a naturalistic study. Psychological Trauma: Theory, Research, Practice, and Policy, 4(6), 640.
URI
https://s3.amazonaws.com/academia.edu.documents/45550506/Relational_Experiences_of_Complex_Trauma20160511-11161-19tvdqm.pdf?AWSAccessKeyId=AKIAIWOWYYGZ2Y53UL3A&Expires=1502134327&Signature=Wf7rEvfYxI9RWiWQlBXlzGfXzzY%3D&response-content-disposition=inline%3B%20filename%3DRelational_experiences_of_complex_trauma.pdf
http://hdl.handle.net/11212/3488
http://hdl.handle.net/11212/3488