HEALING TRAUMA IS SIMPLE, NOT EASY

USING THE SALUTOGENIC APPROACH TO TRAUMA RECOVERY*

By using the salutogenic approach to trauma healing and recovery, the focus is on wellbeing versus illness.  We do this by building and maintaining a strong provider/survivor relationship, teaching survivors how to relax their bodies (especially in the context of a perceived threat), helping them construct complete chronological narratives of their traumatic experiences, and helping them evolve their perceptions of themselves and the world – the completion of these four tasks will heal traumatic stress. 
Four tasks = trauma healing.  Simple.  Not easy, but simple.  This method has proven that it is an incredibly effective, usable, and gentle approach to healing trauma.
 
The Salutogenic Trauma Treatment structure includes four stages: 

• Stage One – Preparation and Relationship building. 
• Stage Two: Psychoeducation and Self-Regulation. 
• Stage Three: Desensitization and Integration. 
• Stage Four: Post-Traumatic Growth and Resilience.

 
 
This approach is focused on answering the questions:

1. What does it take to create health and wellness?
2. What elements of treatment help survivors to navigate the trauma, toxic stress, and adversity in their lives?
3. What are common attributes that help insulate and protect people from developing symptoms.

 
This approach offers these primary assets:

1. Self-regulation
2. Capacity building
3. Meeting primary social/emotional needs
4. Increasing autonomy and choice
5. Developing of a long-term view of positive expectation around their healing

 
This approach creates health by:

1. Strengthening interpersonal resources
2. Strengthening personal resilience to stressors
3. Decreasing unmet needs
4. Developing a “long-termism” view

 
The end goal is coherence for trauma resolution.  That would include:

1. Structure in life
2. Predictability in life
3. Social support
4. Coping strategies
5. Life meaning
6. Responsibility
7. Comprehension
8. Expression of confidence
9. Challenges worth investing time and effort in
10. Health/Illness orientation
11. Future orientation
12. Past orientation
13. Positive, solution-focused outlook
14. Emotional connection
15. Ensuring that you are justly treated.

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*Information credited to Robert Rhoton, Psy.D and J. Eric Gentry, Ph.D. from the book Trauma Competency for the 21st Century.​

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"Matt is tackling a subject that's 'left behind' in culture— one that impacts generations, culture, and community. There's hope and, while based on trauma, the stories of redemption provide us the courage to press forward. The Unbound Man is the guidebook.”
​
Jeff Rogers
Chairman of OneAccord ​